prelapsarian

[ pree-lap-sair-ee-uh n ]

/ ˌpri læpˈsɛər i ən /

adjective

Theology. occurring before the Fall: the prelapsarian innocence of Eden.

characteristic of or pertaining to any innocent or carefree period: a prelapsarian youth.

supralapsarian.

noun

supralapsarian.

Nearby words

prejudging, prejudice, prejudiced, prejudicial, prelacy, prelapsarian, prelate, prelate nullius, prelatic, prelatism, prelature

Origin of prelapsarian

1875–80; pre- + -lapsarian, as in infralapsarian, supralapsarian

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for prelapsarian

Simply put, she defined an era: those early, prelapsarian aughties.
In Honor of ‘The Bling Ring,’ a Tribute to Paris Hilton’s Aughties Style|Misty White Sidell|June 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
It felt like some prelapsarian time before Hurricane Katrina and 20-percent approval ratings.
The Bush Rehab Begins|Bryan Curtis|November 2, 2010|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for prelapsarian

prelapsarian

/ (ˌpriːlæpˈsɛərɪən) /

adjective

characteristic of or relating to the human state or time before the Fallprelapsarian innocence

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

Word Origin and History for prelapsarian

prelapsarian

adj.

"pertaining to the condition before the Fall," 1834, from pre- + Latin lapsus "a fall" (see lapse (v.)) + ending from unitarian, etc.