Neolithic

American  

[nee-uh-lith-ik] / ˌni əˈlɪθ ɪk /

adjective

1. (sometimes lowercase) of, relating to, or characteristic of the last phase of the Stone Age, marked by the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and the manufacture of pottery and textiles: commonly thought to have begun c9000–8000 b.c. in the Middle East.

2. (usually lowercase) belonging to or remaining from an earlier era; outdated; passé.

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Neolithic British  

/ ˌniːəʊˈlɪθɪk /

noun

1. the cultural period that lasted in SW Asia from about 9000 to 6000 _bc and in Europe from about 4000 to 2400 _bc and was characterized by primitive crop growing and stock rearing and the use of polished stone and flint tools and weapons

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adjective

1. relating to this period

Neolithic Scientific  

/ nē′ə-lĭth′ĭk /

1. The period of human culture that began around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the beginning of farming, the domestication of animals, the development of crafts such as pottery and weaving, and the making of polished stone tools. The Neolithic Period is generally considered to end for any particular region with the introduction of metalworking, writing, or other developments of urban civilization.

2. Also called New Stone Age

3. Compare Mesolithic Paleolithic

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Other Word Forms

• preneolithic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Neolithic

First recorded in 1860–65; neo- + -lithic

Compare meaning

How does neolithic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Paleolithic vs. Neolithic

Explanation

In archaeology, anything that dates from the later part of Stone Age, from around 8,000–3,000 BCE, is described as neolithic. That strange stone you found in your yard might be part of a neolithic axe — or it could just be an ordinary rock. When archaeologists use this term, they tend to capitalize it. It's also known as the "New Stone Age," and that's exactly what neolithic means — neo, "new," and -lith, "stone." The Neolithic period occurred about 12,000 years ago, when people began to farm and used polished stone tools, and it was followed by the Bronze Age. If you want to scornfully refer to something as outdated or passé, you can also call it neolithic.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Neolithic

In Welshpool, Powys, cropmarks of a rectangular Neolithic long barrow has been seen that dates back around 5,000 years, while in Conwy new details have been collected of buried Roman buildings at Caerhun Roman fort.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Ancient DNA is revealing new details about the people who lived at Shimao, one of the most important late Neolithic settlements in China.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

The Neolithic burial mound Arthur's Stone is on the hill above the village.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026

For example, when early Neolithic farmers first moved into Europe, they interacted little with the local hunter-gatherer people.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

Thus Neolithic Europe never reached the level of social organization that produced the masonry architecture of Jericho or the dense urban community of Çatal Hüyük.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson