antebellum

adjective

an·​te·​bel·​lum ˌan-ti-ˈbe-ləm How to pronounce antebellum (audio)
: existing before a war
especially : existing before the American Civil War
antebellum houses
the antebellum South

Examples of antebellum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Alexander Majors House and Barn Ghost stories have long swirled around the antebellum house, and visitors can explore the history behind it. Dan Kelly october 17, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2025 Records from textile mills in the antebellum South display average annual profits of about 16 percent. Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2025 While some Black Americans had access to the ballot in the antebellum period, most, who were enslaved, did not. Time, 12 Sep. 2025 The book, forthcoming in 2027, is not about Central Park, but about his early career as a roving pseudonymous correspondent for the then fledgling New York Times in the antebellum South, reporting (in part) on the physical structure of plantations. Chloe Schama, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for antebellum

Word History

Etymology

Latin ante bellum before the war

First Known Use

1826, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of antebellum was in 1826

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Cite this Entry

“Antebellum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antebellum. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

antebellum

adjective
an·​te·​bel·​lum ˌant-i-ˈbel-əm How to pronounce antebellum (audio)
: existing before a war
especially : existing before the American Civil War

More from Merriam-Webster on antebellum

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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