prehistoric
adjective
pre·his·tor·ic
ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-ik 
-ˈstär-
variants
or less commonly prehistorical
ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-i-kəl
-ˈstär-
1
: of, relating to, or existing in times antedating written history
2
: of or relating to a language in a period of its development from which contemporary records of its sounds and forms have not been preserved
3
: regarded as being outdated or outmoded
prehistoric attitudes
Synonyms of prehistoric
Examples of prehistoric in a Sentence
His attitudes about women are downright prehistoric.
prehistoric notions about mental illness that have no place in today's world
Recent Examples on the Web
The discovery of this prehistoric predator is rewriting the closing chapters of the dinosaur era.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
The new research focused on three Prototaxites fossils unearthed in the Rhynie chert, a prehistoric land ecosystem near Aberdeen, Scotland.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
With previous showstoppers such as The Blooming of the Mosasaurs—a bold blue ensemble inspired by a prehistoric marine reptile whose fossils have been discovered in Angola, Africa, as well as in Louisiana—Zulu plans every suit to be his best one yet.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
The prehistoric park will be replaced by a new land themed to the Tropical Americas, which will include rides and attractions inspired by Encanto and Indiana Jones, among others.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
The new research focused on three Prototaxites fossils unearthed in the Rhynie chert, a prehistoric land ecosystem near Aberdeen, Scotland.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 5 Feb. 2026
With previous showstoppers such as The Blooming of the Mosasaurs—a bold blue ensemble inspired by a prehistoric marine reptile whose fossils have been discovered in Angola, Africa, as well as in Louisiana—Zulu plans every suit to be his best one yet.
—Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 3 Feb. 2026
The prehistoric park will be replaced by a new land themed to the Tropical Americas, which will include rides and attractions inspired by Encanto and Indiana Jones, among others.
—Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Cite this Entry
“Prehistoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prehistoric. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
prehistoric
adjective
pre·his·tor·ic
ˌprē-(h)is-ˈtȯr-ik
-ˈtär-
: of, relating to, or existing in times before written history
prehistoric animals
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
