prehistory
Americannoun
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human history in the period before recorded events, known mainly through archaeological discoveries, study, research, etc.; history of prehistoric humans.
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a history of the events or incidents leading to a crisis, situation, or the like.
noun
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the prehistoric period
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the study of this period, relying entirely on archaeological evidence
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of prehistory
Explanation
Prehistory refers to the period of time before civilization and writing. We don't know a lot about prehistory. Since pre means "before," and history is the record of human events, prehistory refers to the time before human civilization developed and started writing things down. Scientists often speculate about what happened in prehistory, which is also known as prehistoric times. When did spoken language develop? What was the first tool? What were families like? Scientists study fossils and artifacts to help them theorize about prehistory, because people weren’t writing things down during that time.
Vocabulary lists containing prehistory
The Origins of Civilization, Lessons 1–2
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The Stone Age - Middle School and High School
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: pre-
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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.
Dr Matthew Knight, senior curator of prehistory at NMS, said it was unclear why the shield was buried in this way, but its unique design indicated it belonged to someone of "high status".
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Overall, the findings suggest that relationships between humans and wolves in prehistory were far more varied than once thought.
From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025
Readers young and old will be treated to a host of information, from established details to new discoveries, from prehistory to the present.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
For prehistory fans, the Miocene, with its fantastic mammal life, is an immensely attractive period.
From Salon • Feb. 17, 2025
The long interactions between Africa’s many peoples generated its fascinating prehistory, including two of the most dramatic population movements of the past 5,000 years—the Bantu expansion and the Indonesian colonization of Madagascar.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
