precolonial

adjective

pre·​co·​lo·​nial ˌprē-kə-ˈlō-nē-əl 

-nyəl

variants or pre-colonial

: existing or occurring before an area undergoes colonization

precolonial America

precolonial cultures

Examples of precolonial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Regardless of whether the banana plant grew within the ecosystems of the precolonial American tropics or not, Indigenous communities and ecologies across the region adapted to the banana plant in a variety of ways that would eventually come to be part of a sustained tradition. —Sophia Rey, JSTOR Daily, 28 May 2026

Anishinaabe people dreamed of a confederation in the Great Lakes, rising like a white mountain, one that reached back to precolonial days but also looked forward to a modern and united Indigenous people. —Literary Hub, 26 May 2026

The popular spirit dates back to precolonial times, and Oaxaca is the best place to sample its many styles and flavors. —Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 12 Mar. 2026

In these allegories of dehumanization, greed, and hope, Marshall takes an unvarnished view of his subjects, one that doesn’t sugarcoat the past or succumb to nostalgia for a mythical, precolonial Golden Age. —James Meyer, Artforum, 1 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1859, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for precolonial

• baronial
• colonial
• anticolonial
• intercolonial
• neocolonial
• antimonial
• ceremonial
• matrimonial
• postcolonial
• testimonial