prehistoric

adjective

ˌprē-(h)i-ˈstȯr-ik How to pronounce prehistoric (audio)
variants also prehistorical
Definition of prehistoricnext
as in archaic
having passed its time of use or usefulness prehistoric notions about mental illness that have no place in today's world

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of prehistoric Yellowstone is the only place in the United States where the animal has lived since prehistoric times. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026 The site was dated to a late prehistoric era in Thailand, a period of human settlement also known as the Iron Age, established to be around 1,500 to 2,500 years ago. — Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026 Millions of years ago, the peaceful water, lack of scavengers, and fine sediment created perfect conditions for preserving these plentiful prehistoric fossils—fish, alligators, stingrays, turtles, and even small horses have been found here. — Condé Nast Traveler, 7 July 2026 However, one of the most physically enduring typologies is the prehistoric great houses of the Pueblo people in New Mexico. — Elizabeth Fazzare, Architectural Digest, 4 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prehistoric
  1. archaic
  2. obsolete
  3. medieval
  4. antiquated
  5. neolithic
Adjective
  • Many of them had the notion that Homer should sound archaic, perhaps because a lot of translations created their own ornate anachronistic English that had nothing to do with the language of the epics.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
  • Tamil itself is no less a political construction, with public discourse and education carried out in a self-consciously archaic form of the language only half-intelligible to many speakers of its multifarious vernaculars.
    — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • As vehicles age, OE on-board hardware becomes obsolete as cellular providers replace older technology and automakers stop investing in aging back-end stacks and features.
    — Michael Harley, ArsTechnica, 21 July 2026
  • Congress empowered this group of experts because its leadership recognized obsolete military bases needed to be closed or consolidated but individual lawmakers would inevitably block any changes to protect their home state facilities.
    — Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of obsolete
Adjective
  • The now extinct lineage branched off after medieval European strains but before those that gave rise to modern smallpox.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 30 July 2026
  • There’s even a fitness area overlooking the medieval village.
    — Tianna Soto, Travel + Leisure, 28 July 2026
Definition of medieval
Adjective
  • Founders Anton Juric and Niklas Lindgren developed the solution after recognizing significant inefficiencies and antiquated software in manual MEP design.
    — David Prosser, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
  • Skip heavy drapes, oversized hutches, and large floral centerpieces, which read as antiquated.
    — Sarah Lyon, The Spruce, 24 July 2026
Definition of antiquated
Adjective
  • From the Neolithic rock art of what is now Libya to ancient Egypt, China and India, to medieval and Renaissance Europe, creatures at borderlands of what was taken to be civilization were represented as cynocephalic, that is, humans with dog heads.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 June 2026
  • Multiple generations of Neolithic designers relied on communal teamwork and clever construction techniques to precisely place each of the site’s gigantic megaliths about 5,000 years ago.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 4 June 2026
Definition of neolithic

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prehistoric
prejudge
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Cite this Entry

“Prehistoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prehistoric. Accessed 2 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of prehistoric for Spanish Speakers

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