pre-Columbian

American

[pree-kuh-luhm-bee-uhn] / ˌpri kəˈlʌm bi ən /

adjective

of or relating to the Americas before the arrival of Columbus.

pre-Columbian art; pre-Columbian Indians.

pre-Columbian British

adjective

of or relating to the Americas before they were discovered by Columbus

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of pre-Columbian

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

pre-Columbian

While medieval Iberia and pre-Columbian Mexico were radically different places, the imagination that birthed these beasts reveals shared interests that transcended time, place and culture.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

So far, no confirmed biological or genetic evidence of pre-Columbian venereal syphilis has been identified inside or outside the Americas.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026

Mexican anthropologist and sculptor Francisco Cornejo assisted the architects to craft a building that was based on authentic designs of pre-Columbian American societies.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2025

The terrain is difficult enough and inaccessible enough that it likely would not have been utilized even by pre-Columbian peoples, certainly not in a permanent way.

From Salon ● Apr. 26, 2025

To the consternation of archaeologists, long planters full of ancient terra preta, complete with pre-Columbian potsherds, greet visitors to the Santarem airport.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023