prewar

[ pree-wawr ]

/ ˈpriˈwɔr /

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See synonyms for prewar on Thesaurus.com

adjective

before the war: prewar prices.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of prewar

First recorded in 1905–10; pre- + war¹

Words nearby prewar

prevision, prevocalic, prevocational, Prévost, Prévost d'Exiles, prewar, prewash, prewashed, preworn, prewriting, prexy

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use prewar in a sentence

If prewar scary movies had consisted primarily of stories of regular people battling internal monsters, postwar horror was consumed with community, with concern for society in the wake of new technological threats.
The horror century|Aja Romano|October 25, 2021|Vox
Throughout prewar Hollywood, it was the subject of an onslaught of beloved horror films, many produced by Universal Studios and played by celebrity character actors such as Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, and Lon Chaney Sr.
The horror century|Aja Romano|October 25, 2021|Vox
The Indo-Pacific region today, say these two noted analysts in Foreign Affairs earlier this year, “feels like prewar Europe—drifting out of balance, its order fraying, with no obvious coalition.”
Why China Is So Pissed About That U.S.-Australia Submarine Deal|James A. Warren|October 25, 2021|The Daily Beast
The price of chicken dropped precipitously, making it much more ubiquitous than it was in the prewar era.
The Economic History of Stereotypes|Megan McArdle|June 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST

These mirrors were of glass and cost about $1,000 at prewar prices.
America's Munitions 1917-1918|Benedict Crowell
There was considerable similarity in form, though not in performance, between the Mayfly and the prewar Zeppelin.
A History of Aeronautics|E. Charles Vivian
But the Government was careful not to subject them to the hazards and isolation which the ordinary, prewar settler had to face.
The Story of the Great War, Volume VIII (of VIII)|various
The result of all this was a big decline in trade between Western and Eastern Europe, as compared with prewar years.
East-West Trade Trends|Harold E. Stassen
The controls apply to a small percentage of the types of goods which made up East-West trade in the prewar years or in 1948.
East-West Trade Trends|Harold E. Stassen

British Dictionary definitions for prewar

prewar

/ (ˌpriːˈwɔː, ˈpriːˌwɔː) /

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