variants
also prehistorical
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
Relevance
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
An unusual tooth found in a cave offers a rare glimpse into a surprising procedure prehistoric humans might have performed to fix a cavity 59,000 years ago.
—
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
In September 2023, UNESCO added Tell es-Sultan—a prehistoric site in Jericho—to its World Heritage List, drawing criticism from some far-right Israeli politicians and organizations.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026
Long before that, these counties of Pierce, Lanier, Clinch, Bacon, and Appling were a prehistoric inland sea.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
It is set in prehistoric times and follows a band of children trying to survive the strange environment around them.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 13 May 2026
In September 2023, UNESCO added Tell es-Sultan—a prehistoric site in Jericho—to its World Heritage List, drawing criticism from some far-right Israeli politicians and organizations.
—Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 13 May 2026
Long before that, these counties of Pierce, Lanier, Clinch, Bacon, and Appling were a prehistoric inland sea.
—Anne Byrn, Southern Living, 11 May 2026
It is set in prehistoric times and follows a band of children trying to survive the strange environment around them.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prehistoric
Adjective
-
The Harbin individual yielded a similar number, and a few earlier studies had obtained data from individuals elsewhere, including a Denisovan from near Taiwan and an archaic human from Spain.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
The girls, playing an archaic six-player game with three on each side of midcourt, defeated West Crisp of Cordele 40-27 a week earlier.—
Todd Holcomb,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Back then, an obsolete constitutional formula enabled as few as 12% of the people to elect a majority of state senators.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 May 2026
-
But in the lightning-fast tech industry, what’s cutting-edge today can become obsolete tomorrow.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
11 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the use of mercury might evoke images of the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, this highly toxic element was also employed in late- and post-medieval Europe as a treatment for venereal syphilis and leprosy.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
17 May 2026
-
The murder of Thomas Becket in 1170 was one of the most shocking events in medieval England; Becket, once a close friend and ally of Henry II, became Archbishop of Canterbury and defended the independence of the church against the king’s authority.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
New York’s antiquated assessment system values properties far below their market value and leaves a small number of apartments valued at $5 million or more.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
-
Though Jordan and Tammy had raised their biological twins since they were born — and had the full support of their surrogate — they were required by antiquated state law to adopt their own babies.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The inclusion of a late Neolithic female figurine fragment from North Macedonia grounds the exhibition in deep time, underscoring the persistence of these forms.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
To understand the role dogs may have played during this transition, the team modeled the ancestry of European dogs as Neolithic farmers arrived on the continent.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
25 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prehistoric.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prehistoric. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
