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.

“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

Yet the three major U.S. stock indexes have marched back to prewar levels and then some.

From The Wall Street Journal • 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

But the recovery back to prewar levels may just be the start.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

She served him small, steaming cups of precious prewar sake a cousin had brought along and opened for this celebration.

From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston

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