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Showing results for prehistoric.
Synonyms

prehistoric

American  
[pree-hi-stawr-ik, -stor-, pree-i-] / ˌpri hɪˈstɔr ɪk, -ˈstɒr-, ˌpri ɪ- /
Sometimes prehistorical

adjective

  1. of or relating to the time or a period prior to recorded history.

    The dinosaur is a prehistoric beast.

  2. Slang. outdated; passé.

    My mom has these prehistoric ideas about proper dress.


prehistoric British  
/ ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk /

adjective

  1. of or relating to man's development before the appearance of the written word

"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

Other Word Forms

  • prehistorically adverb

Etymology

Origin of prehistoric

First recorded in 1850–55; pre- + historic

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.

Researchers have identified a 90 million year old fossil that helps solve a long standing mystery about a strange group of prehistoric animals.

From Science Daily

Wouldn’t you want to hang out with the guy unabashedly wearing a hat with a prehistoric creature bursting out of each end?

From Los Angeles Times

The burial itself was unusual compared with other prehistoric mass graves.

From Science Daily

The research was published in Cell under the title "Bronze Age Yersinia pestis genome from sheep sheds light on hosts and evolution of a prehistoric plague lineage."

From Science Daily

They featured detailed drawings of various ancient fossils and prehistoric creatures, whose origins were beginning to be studied and understood by scientists at the time.

From BBC