pre-Hispanic

adjective

pre-His·​pan·​ic ˌprē-(h)i-ˈspa-nik 

: of, relating to, or being the time prior to Spanish conquests in the western hemisphere

Examples of pre-Hispanic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To write her script, Fernández consulted the works of Mexican historian of pre-Hispanic cultures Miguel León-Portilla and American writer Earl Shorris. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

Her father, a civil engineer, was involved in archaeological excavations of pre-Hispanic artifacts from Mexico City, while overseeing new building projects there. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Sandoval plays the Babaylan, a traditional Malay healer who Diaz describes as a lasting bridge between Filipinos and their pre-Hispanic, pre-Islamic Malay heritage. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

But many of its adoring fans have little idea of its origins, which reach back thousands of years to pre-Hispanic, Mesoamerican cultures in Mexico. — Alfredo Sosa, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pre-Hispanic

• aldermanic
• inorganic
• magellanic
• messianic
• oceanic
• pozzolanic
• talismanic
• transuranic
• bannock
• laennec
• manic
• panic

Kids Definition

pre-Hispanic

adjective

pre-His·​pan·​ic

ˌprē-(h)i-ˈspan-ik

: of, relating to, or being the time prior to Spanish conquests in the western hemisphere