preindustrial
adjective
pre·in·dus·tri·al
ˌprē-in-ˈdə-strē-əl 
variants
or pre-industrial
1
: not having developed or adopted industry : not industrialized
preindustrial agrarian societies
preindustrial civilization
2
: occurring, existing, or originating before the development or adoption of industry
in preindustrial times
preindustrial levels of carbon dioxide
preindustrial artifacts
still made using preindustrial methods
also
: resembling that of preindustrial times
a return to a preindustrial way of life
Examples of preindustrial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Last year’s global average temperature was the third warmest since the preindustrial era, according to new data released Tuesday by scientists at Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
—
Harry Stevens, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Temperature increase is measured relative to preindustrial average.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
The idea that ordinary people could expect anything different—let alone genuine comfort or opportunity—would sound fantastical to our preindustrial ancestors.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
The study shows that hydrogen levels surged about 70 percent from preindustrial times to the early 2000s, briefly stabilized, and then began rising again around 2010, largely driven by human activity.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preindustrial
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Harry Stevens, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
Temperature increase is measured relative to preindustrial average.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 14 Jan. 2026
The idea that ordinary people could expect anything different—let alone genuine comfort or opportunity—would sound fantastical to our preindustrial ancestors.
—Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Dec. 2025
The study shows that hydrogen levels surged about 70 percent from preindustrial times to the early 2000s, briefly stabilized, and then began rising again around 2010, largely driven by human activity.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preindustrial
Cite this Entry
“Preindustrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preindustrial. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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