prehistoric

Sometimes pre·his·tor·i·cal

[pree-hi-stawr-ik, -stor-, pree-i-]

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 Slang.,  outdated; passé.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

/ ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk /

adjective

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

Other Word Forms

• prehistorically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of prehistoric¹

First recorded in 1850–55; pre- + historic

Example Sentences

Three protesters were Friday cleared by a UK court of charges related to a protest at Stonehenge in which the prehistoric stone circle was sprayed with orange powder.

Read more on Barron's

Twelve main galleries trace civilisation across 5,000 years of history, from prehistoric times to the Roman era.

Read more on Barron's

The study focused on Ice Age bones from the Reis collection, housed at the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen, which continue to reveal remarkable insights into Europe's dynamic prehistoric world.

Read more on Science Daily

An educational theme park in New Jersey put its collection of prehistoric creatures up for sale on Facebook Marketplace last month at bargain discounts.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Ms Everts has traced the benefits of sweating to prehistoric times, when it allowed early humans to work vigorously for long periods in the sun.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• ancient 
• archaic 
• primeval 
• primitive 
• primordial