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preliterate

[ pree-lit-er-it ]
/ priˈlɪt ər ɪt /
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See synonyms for preliterate on Thesaurus.com
adjective Anthropology.
lacking a written language; nonliterate: a preliterate culture.
occurring before the development or use of writing.
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Origin of preliterate

First recorded in 1920–25; pre- + literate

Words nearby preliterate

preliminary, Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test, prelimit, prelims, prelingually deaf, preliterate, Prelog, preloved, prelude, Preludin, prelusion
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to preliterate

naive, rudimentary, simple, underdeveloped, undeveloped, unsophisticated, animal, barbarian, natural, raw, rough, savage, wild, atavistic, austere, barbarous, brutish, childlike, fierce, ignorant

British Dictionary definitions for preliterate

preliterate
/ (priːˈlɪtərɪt) /
adjective
relating to a society that has not developed a written language

Derived forms of preliterate

preliteracy (priːˈlɪtərəsɪ), noun
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
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