Prehistoric: meaning, definitions and examples

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prehistoric

[ ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk ]

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time period

Belonging to or existing in times before recorded history. Refers to the period of human history before the availability of written records.

Synonyms

ancient, prehistorical, primitive

Examples of usage

The prehistoric cave paintings in France date back over 30,000 years.
Scientists study prehistoric artifacts to learn about early human civilizations.

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colloquial

Extremely old or outdated.

Synonyms

antiquated, obsolete, outdated

Examples of usage

My laptop is so slow, it feels prehistoric compared to the new models.
The technology in this office is prehistoric - we really need an upgrade.

Translations

Translations of the word "prehistoric" in other languages:

🇵🇹 pré-histórico

🇮🇳 प्रागैतिहासिक

🇩🇪 prähistorisch

🇮🇩 prasejarah

🇺🇦 праісторичний

🇵🇱 prehistoria

🇯🇵 先史時代の (せんしじだいの)

🇫🇷 préhistorique

🇪🇸 prehistórico

🇹🇷 tarih öncesi

🇰🇷 선사 시대의 (seonsa sidae-ui)

🇸🇦 ما قبل التاريخ (ma qabl al-tareekh)

🇨🇿 prehistorický

🇸🇰 praveký

🇨🇳 史前的 (shǐqián de)

🇸🇮 prazgodovinski

🇮🇸 forsögulegur

🇰🇿 тарихқа дейінгі

🇬🇪 უძველესი

🇦🇿 qədim

🇲🇽 prehistórico

Word origin

The term 'prehistoric' comes from the combination of 'pre-' meaning before, and 'historic' referring to recorded history. It is used to describe a time period before written records were kept, typically dating back thousands of years. The study of prehistory relies on archaeological evidence such as artifacts, fossils, and cave paintings to reconstruct the lives of ancient civilizations. The concept of prehistory is crucial for understanding human development and cultural evolution.