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

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

Copernicus, a European climate monitoring program, reported that January 2025 was the warmest on record and about 3 degrees Fahrenheit above preindustrial temperature averages. —Evan Bush, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for preindustrial

• nonindustrial
• postindustrial
• industrial