Synonyms

prewar

American

[pree-wawr] / ˈpriˈwɔr /

adjective

before the war.

prewar prices.

prewar British

/ ˈpriːˌwɔː, ˌpriːˈwɔː /

adjective

of or occurring in the period before a war, esp before World War I or II

"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

Etymology

Origin of prewar

First recorded in 1905–10; pre- + war ¹

Vocabulary lists containing prewar

"The Diary of a Young Girl," Vocabulary from the diary

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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.

See Examples For:

prewar

Their estimate assumed a Strait of Hormuz reopening on June 1, with tanker traffic, including rerouting, back to 73% of prewar levels by now.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

In June, the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, leading to a big fall in energy prices towards prewar levels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Although far below its prewar totals, Saudi Arabia has been able to continue exporting millions of barrels of oil a day via its Red Sea port of Yanbu.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

The attacks are threatening to choke off traffic and once again raise oil prices, after they returned briefly to prewar levels last month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

The elevator was prewar, with gilded, curving bars like a birdcage.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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