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

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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 But the study highlights that prehistoric human relatives who overlapped in time with Neanderthals and modern humans could have extremely different behavioral adaptations, Pobiner added. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 The museum uses Akrotiri as a point of reference for the life and culture of prehistoric Thira. — Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 The fraught subject of the proper disposition of those human remains has taken on a new sensitivity — both for the prehistoric people’s Native American successors in Florida, and for the archaeologists and developers encountering them. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 The secretary’s beef-intensive diet, which is shared by other members of the Cabinet, including Vice President Vance, is informed by the idea that people should be eating as our prehistoric ancestors did. — David Merritt Johns, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for prehistoric
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prehistoric
  1. archaic
  2. obsolete
  3. medieval
  4. antiquated
  5. neolithic
Adjective
  • The Spanish is archaic, the intonations are complicated, and the words tumble over themselves like a hard charge toward the goal posts.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2026
  • For golf cart operators, that evolution absolutely begins by ditching archaic lead-acid relics engineered for a bygone era.
    — Malana VanTyler, USA Today, 24 June 2026
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • My role as documentarian, gatekeeper, and distributor of memories was becoming obsolete.
    — Derek C. Blasberg, Vanity Fair, 7 July 2026
  • But after a century, changing technology had rendered the works obsolete.
    — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
Definition of obsolete
Adjective
  • Self-mortifying pamagdarame rituals, including whipping and crucifixion, likewise have roots in medieval Christian tradition.
    — H.M.A. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 10 July 2026
  • Around a two-hour drive from here lies the beautiful medieval city of Limoges that’s famed for its leather.
    — James Rampton, TheWeek, 9 July 2026
Definition of medieval
Adjective
  • By wrapping antiquated infrastructure in agentic interfaces, these workers can unlock near-native operational efficiency without a risky, catastrophic core system overhaul.
    — Barney Krishnan, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
  • But what, exactly, is that robot doing watching fireworks next to a little boy and a man in antiquated garb?
    — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 29 June 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 11 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on prehistoric

Nglish: Translation of prehistoric for Spanish Speakers

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