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Definition of prehistoric

prehistoric

/ˌpriːhɪˈstɔːrɪk/
pre · his · tor · ic
Adverb:prehistorically
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prehistoric Lexical Profile

prehistoric Game Scores & Validity

• adjective

1

Relating to or denoting the period of time before written records were kept.

Example

"Archaeologists uncovered prehistoric cave paintings that depicted herds of wild horses and bison."

2

Extremely old-fashioned, outdated, or no longer useful (used hyperbolically).

Example

"The office finally replaced its prehistoric desktop computers with modern laptops."

Synonyms
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Antonyms
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• Rhymes for prehistoric

• Nearby Words

preheat
prehensile
prehensile-tailed skink
prehistoric
prehistorical
prehistorically
prehistory

Word Origin & Etymology

Coined in English in 1851 by Scottish archaeologist Daniel Wilson, formed from the prefix 'pre-' (before) and 'historic', which ultimately derives from the Ancient Greek 'historia' (inquiry or knowledge acquired by investigation).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Prehistoric. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/prehistoric
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