✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

antebellum

adjective

an·​te·​bel·​lum ˌan-ti-ˈbe-ləm How to pronounce antebellum (audio)
: existing before a war
especially : existing before the American Civil War
antebellum houses
the antebellum South

Examples of antebellum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
These concessions cast a long shadow over antebellum politics thereafter. Time, 17 Nov. 2025 Annabelle’s journey from a racist relic of the antebellum era to a million-dollar movie star to a figure of Black liberation distills vital lessons about American history at a time when Black history is under attack by those in the highest office of the land. Essence, 29 Oct. 2025 For a stroll back in time, bucolic Natchez, MS offers tourists a comforting view of the antebellum South, glossing over such inconvenient realities as millions of people held in bondage. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025 Alexander Majors House and Barn Ghost stories have long swirled around the antebellum house, and visitors can explore the history behind it. Dan Kelly october 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for antebellum

Word History

Etymology

Latin ante bellum before the war

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antebellum was in 1826

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Antebellum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antebellum. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

antebellum

adjective
an·​te·​bel·​lum ˌant-i-ˈbel-əm How to pronounce antebellum (audio)
: existing before a war
especially : existing before the American Civil War

More from Merriam-Webster on antebellum

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!