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.

Navy controlling traffic through the Gulf of Oman, and with no talks scheduled, it remains anyone’s guess as to when flows will return to prewar levels.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

“I don’t think it will take eight months, but there’s probably a two-month minimum for supply to get back to prewar levels,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

But he does see a pathway for oil flows out of the Persian Gulf to return to prewar levels in the next few months.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

The iShares Expanded Tech-Software Sector ETF, the sector-tracking benchmark, has booked a 10% advance so far this week, rebounding from its lowest close since November 2023, but remains just 0.7% north of its prewar levels.

From Barron's • Apr. 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