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
The year 2024 was the first on record to have an average temperature more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) above the preindustrial era.
—
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2025
Their findings show that during the Late Jurassic, around 150 million years ago, atmospheric CO₂ concentrations were roughly four times higher than preindustrial levels.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
The planet will almost certainly warm beyond an internationally agreed upon target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
These warming levels represent an average level of warming of the Earth’s temperature since preindustrial times.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 19 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for preindustrial
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Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2025
Their findings show that during the Late Jurassic, around 150 million years ago, atmospheric CO₂ concentrations were roughly four times higher than preindustrial levels.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
The planet will almost certainly warm beyond an internationally agreed upon target of 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.
—Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2025
These warming levels represent an average level of warming of the Earth’s temperature since preindustrial times.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 19 June 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 26 Oct. 2025.
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