Neanderthal

noun

Ne·​an·​der·​thal nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl  -ˌthȯl 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl

plural Neanderthals

1

or less commonly Neandertal

nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl

or Neanderthal man or Neandertal man plural Neandertals or Neanderthal men or Neandertal men : a hominid (Homo neanderthalensis synonym H. sapiens neanderthalensis) known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia that lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago

2

: a person who suggests a caveman in appearance, mentality, or behavior

… heckled by a bunch of Neanderthals …

—Bonitta Best

But the man is also not a Neanderthal. His mother was an English teacher, and her son quotes Henry David Thoreau …

—Seth Emerson

Neanderthal adjective

or less commonly Neandertal

Neanderthaloid

nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯ-ˌlȯid

-ˌthȯ- 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtä-

adjective or noun

Synonyms

• clod
• clodhopper
• gawk
• hulk
• lout
• lubber
• lug
• lump
• oaf
• palooka

Examples of Neanderthal in a Sentence

I can't believe I was married to that Neanderthal for three years.

Some Neanderthals continue to resist the education reform bill.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2018, archaeologists unearthed the 75,000-year-old remains of a female Neanderthal from a cave in northern Iraq. —Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 May 2024

Since the Neanderthal discovery, the start date for human prehistory has been pushed farther and farther back. —Maya Jasanoff, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024

The team then also used digital technology to create a 3-D approximation of the 75,000-year-old female Neanderthal’s face. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 3 May 2024

The team found the Neanderthal named Shanidar Z inside a cave in Iraqi Kurdistan, which is a mountainous region in northern Iraq. —Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 2 May 2024

As a 2023 New Yorker article detailing the carnivore craze pointed out, however, studies of Neanderthals have turned up evidence that their diets included dates, tubers and other leafy foods in addition to meat. —Steven Kurutz Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2024

Audiences learned to link modern art to prehistory and inquire about Neanderthal DNA. —Stefanos Geroulanos, Twin Cities, 10 Apr. 2024

Enlarge / Artist's depiction of Neanderthals after taking down a lion. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 18 Oct. 2023

The genomes of people in India today contain a wide range of Neanderthal DNA—with more diversity in gene sequences from our ancient relatives than any other modern population previously examined, new research finds. —Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Neanderthal, valley in western Germany

First Known Use

1874, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing Neanderthal

• Neanderthal man

Kids Definition

Neanderthal

noun

Ne·​an·​der·​thal nē-ˈan-dər-ˌthȯl  -ˌtȯl 

nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl

1

or Neandertal

-ˌtȯl 

-ˌtäl

: a primate mammal that belongs to the same family as human beings, lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago, is known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, and is characterized especially by a stocky muscular build and prominent browridge

called also Neanderthal man

2

: one who suggests a caveman in appearance, behavior, or intelligence

Neanderthal adjective