antediluvian

adjective

an·te·di·lu·vi·an ˌan-ti-də-ˈlü-vē-ən

-(ˌ)dī-

Synonyms of antediluvian next

: of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible

: made, evolved, or developed a long time ago

an antediluvian automobile

that antediluvian relic known as a slide rule

: extremely primitive or outmoded

an antediluvian prejudice

antediluvian in his politics

antediluvian noun

Did you know?

Before there was antediluvian, there were the Latin words ante (meaning "before") and diluvium (meaning "flood"). In the 1600s, English speakers were using antediluvian to describe conditions they believed existed before the great flood described in the biblical account of Noah and the ark. By the early 1700s, the word had come to be used as both an adjective and a noun referring to anything or anyone prodigiously old. Naturalist Charles Darwin used it to characterize the mighty "antediluvian trees" some prehistoric mammals might have used as a food source, and in his American Notes, Charles Dickens described an elderly lady who informed him, "It is an extremely proud and pleasant thing … to be an antediluvian."

Examples of antediluvian in a Sentence

He has antediluvian notions about the role of women in the workplace. found evidence in the Middle East of an antediluvian people previously unknown to history

Recent Examples on the Web Image Image Today, in our era of figuration and socially conscious painting, Stella’s 60-year devotion to abstract art might sound academic or even antediluvian. —

Deborah Solomon, New York Times, 5 May 2024 The big transmission lever feels slightly antediluvian in what is otherwise a quite modern interior. —

Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 14 Apr. 2023 Unfortunately, that view seems antediluvian these days. —

Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 9 Dec. 2023 As advanced as the futuristic environment was visually, the team found innovation by juxtaposing the setting with its people and their antediluvian mindsets. —

Rendy Jones, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2023 See all Example Sentences for antediluvian

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antediluvian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.