Prehistoric
ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk
Definitions
Belonging to or existing in the time before recorded history; relating to the period before written records were kept.
ˌpriːhɪˈstɒrɪk
Relating to or denoting the period before written records
The museum exhibits a vast collection of prehistoric fossils.
💡 Simply: Imagine a time long, long ago, even before people wrote things down! Prehistoric things are from that time. Like, the dinosaurs were prehistoric.
👶 For kids: Things that happened a long, long time ago, before people knew how to write.
More Examples
Cave paintings provide evidence of prehistoric human life.
Scientists are studying the remains of prehistoric animals.
How It's Used
"Prehistoric artifacts provide clues about early human cultures."
"Prehistoric dinosaurs roamed the Earth millions of years ago."
From the prefix "pre-" (before) and "historic" (relating to history), meaning before recorded history. The word's development reflects advancements in archaeology and paleontology in the 19th century, as scientists sought to categorize and understand life before written records.
The term 'prehistoric' gained prominence in the 19th century as a result of advancements in geology and archaeology. It initially categorized the era before the development of writing and the historical records it provided.
Memory tip
Think "pre-" (before) and "historic." Prehistoric means before history. So, before people started writing down what happened.