prelingually deaf

British

/ priːˈlɪŋɡwəlɪ /

adjective

1. deaf from birth or having acquired deafness before learning to speak
2. ( as collective noun; preceded by the )
  
  the prelingually deaf

"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

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.

The generationally or prelingually Deaf, with their mastery of sign language, sit at the highest rungs, while some students are seen as not Deaf enough, particularly those who wear hearing aids or cochlear implants.

From New York Times

Micah was prelingually deaf, meaning his deafness preceded language.

From New York Times

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