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
Recent Examples on the Web
In it, a pre-Columbian past is mixed with a dystopian future.
—
Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 29 July 2025
The earliest uses of vanilla can be traced to Mesoamerica, where the oldest records date to the pre-Columbian Maya.
—Sarah Jampel, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 July 2025
Mid-City is also home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, whose collection of 40,000-plus pieces includes Native American and Ghanian textiles, pre-Columbian sculptures, and Korean landscape paintings.
—Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025
The museum is home to a collection of 24,000 objects displayed in galleries highlighting everything from Florida artists and equine art to pre-Columbian artifacts and maritime collections.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pre-Columbian
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Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 29 July 2025
The earliest uses of vanilla can be traced to Mesoamerica, where the oldest records date to the pre-Columbian Maya.
—Sarah Jampel, Bon Appetit Magazine, 28 July 2025
Mid-City is also home to the New Orleans Museum of Art, whose collection of 40,000-plus pieces includes Native American and Ghanian textiles, pre-Columbian sculptures, and Korean landscape paintings.
—Kristin Braswell, AFAR Media, 23 July 2025
The museum is home to a collection of 24,000 objects displayed in galleries highlighting everything from Florida artists and equine art to pre-Columbian artifacts and maritime collections.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 22 July 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 22 Aug. 2025.
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