Dictionary

prehistoric en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˌpɹiː.hɪsˈtoɹ.ɪk/ (US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

From pre- (“before”) + historic, q.v., similar to slightly earlier ante-historic.

Meanings

1. (qualifier:properly) Of or relating to the epoch before written record.
   • The cartoon image of prehistoric woman being dragged by the hair by her caveman-husband probably conditions the perceptions of archaeologists far more than they realize. 1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 137:
   • Was it then in a pre-historic time that the Romans wandered into these lands? 1832 October, Foreign Quarterly Review, page 369:
2. (qualifier:inexact or humorous) Ancient; very old, outdated, etc.
   • Your idea of a woman is some one who gets on a chair and shrieks if she sees a mouse. That’s all prehistoric. 1923, Agatha Christie, The Murder on the Links:

Forms

Deriveds

prehistorically · nonprehistoric · prehistoric age

Descendants

préhistorique

Relateds

prehistory · precontact

Synonyms

antediluvian · ante-historic

Translations (74)

la praehistoricus (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ja 先史の (of relating to the epoch before written record) · bg предистори́чески (of relating to the epoch before written record) · de vorgeschichtlich (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ast prehistóricu (of relating to the epoch before written record) · it preistorico (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ky тарыхтан мурунку (of relating to the epoch before written record) · io prehistoriala (of relating to the epoch before written record) · gl prehistórico (outdated) · el προϊστορικός (of relating to the epoch before written record) · vi tiền sử (of relating to the epoch before written record) · be дагістары́чны (of relating to the epoch before written record) · et eelajalooline (of relating to the epoch before written record) · la praehistorius (of relating to the epoch before written record) · km បុរេប្រវត្តិ (of relating to the epoch before written record) · de vorhistorisch (of relating to the epoch before written record) · cmn 史前的 (of relating to the epoch before written record) · es prehistórico (outdated) · de prähistorisch (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ca prehistòric (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sh pràpovijēsnī (of relating to the epoch before written record) · uz tarixdan ilgarigi (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ja 先史時代の (of relating to the epoch before written record) · bn প্রাগৈতিহাসিক (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ar مَا قَبْلَ التَّارِيخ (of relating to the epoch before written record) · id prasejarah (of relating to the epoch before written record) · vo rujenavik (of relating to the epoch before written record) · is forsögulegur (of relating to the epoch before written record) · fr préhistorique (of relating to the epoch before written record) · eo prahistoria (of relating to the epoch before written record) · nn forhistorisk (of relating to the epoch before written record) · mk предисториски (of relating to the epoch before written record) · gd ro-eachdraidheil (of relating to the epoch before written record) · fo fyrisøguligur (of relating to the epoch before written record) · es prehistórico (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ko 선사의 (of relating to the epoch before written record) · nl prehistorisch (of relating to the epoch before written record) · pl prehistoryczny (of relating to the epoch before written record) · cy cynhanesyddol (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sk praveký (of relating to the epoch before written record) · uk доістори́чний (of relating to the epoch before written record) · lv aizvēsturisks (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sq prehistorik (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ka წინარეისტორიული (of relating to the epoch before written record) · mt preistoriku (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ka პრეისტორიული (of relating to the epoch before written record) · gl prehistórico (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sl prazgodovinski (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ru доистори́ческий (of relating to the epoch before written record) · hu történelem előtti (of relating to the epoch before written record) · cs pravěký (of relating to the epoch before written record) · hy նախապատմական (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sq parahistorik (of relating to the epoch before written record) · lt priešistorinis (of relating to the epoch before written record) · tl sinauna (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ms prasejarah (of relating to the epoch before written record) · hi प्रागैतिहासिक (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ky тарыхка чейинки (of relating to the epoch before written record) · nb forhistorisk (of relating to the epoch before written record) · az tarixdən qabaqkı (of relating to the epoch before written record) · tr tarih öncesi (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ka წინაისტორიული (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sv förhistorisk (of relating to the epoch before written record) · ko 선사 시대의 (of relating to the epoch before written record) · kk тарихтан бұрынғы (of relating to the epoch before written record) · fi esihistoriallinen (of relating to the epoch before written record) · kk тарихқа дейінгі (of relating to the epoch before written record) · da forhistorisk (of relating to the epoch before written record) · sh prètpovijēsnī (of relating to the epoch before written record) · kmr pêşdîrokî (of relating to the epoch before written record) · fr préhistorique (outdated) · ro preistoric (of relating to the epoch before written record) · he פרהיסטורי (of relating to the epoch before written record) · pt pré-histórico (of relating to the epoch before written record)