pre-Columbian
adjective
pre-Co·lum·bi·an
ˌprē-kə-ˈləm-bē-ən 
: preceding or belonging to the time before the arrival of Columbus in America
Examples of pre-Columbian in a Sentence
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The East Harlem museum spans pre-Columbian Taíno art to contemporary works, with a focus on Puerto Rican artists and the Puerto Rican community in New York.
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Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Born in Colombia, Criado earned a degree in Milan and imbues her work with influences from both places, prioritizing collaboration with artisans and embracing inspiration from pre-Columbian history and culture.
—Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 11 June 2025
The artist symbolically recreates the bloody Battle of Cajamarca that took place in 1532 in his native Peru, collapsing the existing pre-Columbian civilization at the hands of Spanish colonialists.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Digitally mapping the sites allowed researchers to process their findings in relation to the natural environment, as well as a regional network of pre-Columbian roads between other Chachapoya sites like La Playa, Papayas and Los Pinchudos.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025
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Natasha Gural, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
Born in Colombia, Criado earned a degree in Milan and imbues her work with influences from both places, prioritizing collaboration with artisans and embracing inspiration from pre-Columbian history and culture.
—Rachel Gallaher, Robb Report, 11 June 2025
The artist symbolically recreates the bloody Battle of Cajamarca that took place in 1532 in his native Peru, collapsing the existing pre-Columbian civilization at the hands of Spanish colonialists.
—Ray Mark Rinaldi, Denver Post, 9 June 2025
Digitally mapping the sites allowed researchers to process their findings in relation to the natural environment, as well as a regional network of pre-Columbian roads between other Chachapoya sites like La Playa, Papayas and Los Pinchudos.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pre-Columbian
Cite this Entry
“Pre-Columbian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pre-Columbian. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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