Definition of antebellum
: existing before a war; especially : existing before the American Civil War antebellum houses the antebellum South
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Recent Examples of antebellum from the Web
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An antebellum mansion remains at the site, and a Masonic Lodge and a few other buildings were moved a few miles to Perdue Hill, where they are preserved along the roadside.
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Many commenters from the U.S. saw the Tizons’ relationship with Pulido through the lens of antebellum American slavery.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'antebellum'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Antebellum means "before the war," but it wasn’t widely associated with the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) until after that conflict was over. The word comes from the Latin phrase ante bellum (literally, "before the war"), and its earliest known print appearance in English dates back to the 1840s. The term's earliest known association with the Civil War is found in an 1862 diary entry: "Her face was as placid and unmoved as in antebellum days." The author of that line, Mary Boykin Miller Chesnut, recorded her observations of life during the Civil War in A Diary from Dixie, often while accompanying her husband, an officer in the Confederate army, on his missions.
Origin and Etymology of antebellum
Latin ante bellum before the war
First Known Use: 1826
Other History Terms
ANTEBELLUM Defined for English Language Learners
antebellum
playDefinition of antebellum for English Language Learners
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: occurring in the southern U.S. during the time before the American Civil War
Learn More about antebellum
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See words that rhyme with antebellum Spanish Central: Translation of antebellum Nglish: Translation of antebellum for Spanish speakers
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