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 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

Atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen sharply since preindustrial times, owing mostly to human activities that pump greenhouse gases into the air. —Denise Chow, NBC news, 5 June 2025

They are projected to decline by 70-90% at 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit of warming relative to preindustrial times and by 99% at 3.6 degrees. —City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 May 2025

Current levels of methane, a powerful, short-term warming agent, are 265% of preindustrial levels, the report shows. —Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for preindustrial

• nonindustrial
• postindustrial
• industrial