prehistoric

pre·his·tor·ic

adjective \ˌprē-(h)is-ˈtȯr-ik, -ˈtär-\

Definition of PREHISTORIC

1

: of, relating to, or existing in times antedating written history

2

: of or relating to a language in a period of its development from which contemporary records of its sounds and forms have not been preserved

3

: regarded as being outdated or outmoded <prehistoric attitudes>

— pre·his·tor·i·cal·ly \-i-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Variants of PREHISTORIC

pre·his·tor·ic also pre·his·tor·i·cal \-i-kəl\

Examples of PREHISTORIC

1. His attitudes about women are downright prehistoric.
2. <prehistoric notions about mental illness that have no place in today's world>

First Known Use of PREHISTORIC

1832

Related to PREHISTORIC

Synonyms

antiquated, archaic, dated, démodé, demoded, fossilized, kaput (also kaputt), medieval (also mediaeval), moribund, mossy, moth-eaten, neolithic, Noachian, outdated, outmoded, out-of-date, outworn, passé, obsolete (also prehistorical), rusty, Stone Age, superannuated

Related Words

aging (or ageing), obsolescent; discarded, disused, inoperable, unusable, unworkable, useless; dead, defunct, expired, extinct, vanished; dormant, fallow, free, idle, inactive, inert, inoperative, latent; ancient, antediluvian, antique, dateless, fusty, musty, old; oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, retro, vintage; aged, age-old, hoary, venerable; atavistic, bygone, erstwhile, former, historic, historical, late, old-world, past

Near Antonyms

contemporary, current, mod, modern, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, present-day, recent, ultramodern, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute; fresh; modernized, refurbished, remodeled, renewed; functional, operable, operational, workable; active, alive, busy, employed, functioning, operating, operative

Other Archaeology Terms

Attic, Byzantine, Paleolithic, cairn, core, flint, horizon, neolithic, shard, stratum

Rhymes with PREHISTORIC

anaphoric, cataphoric, diasporic, metaphoric, meteoric, noncaloric, paregoric, sophomoric