prewar

American  

[pree-wawr] / ˈpriˈwɔr /

adjective

1. before the war.

   prewar prices.

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prewar British  

/ ˈpriːˌwɔː, ˌpriːˈwɔː /

adjective

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

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Etymology

Origin of prewar

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

Example Sentences

“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

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

“That means prices are not going back to where they were at the end of February anytime soon,” he said, adding that the prewar average was 20 million barrels a day traveling through Hormuz.

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

At the end of the war, of Kraków's prewar Jewish population of about 60,000, only a few thousand remained.

From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson