Definition

The time in human history before people started writing things down, including the study of early human life and cultures.

Example

Archaeologists study artifacts to learn about prehistory.

Conversation

Have you ever read about prehistory?

Not really, but it sounds fascinating!

Yeah, it's interesting to learn about how humans lived before writing.

Definitely! I love discovering the stories behind our ancient past.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Prehistory → It is formed from "pre-" (meaning before) and "history" (from Greek "historia", meaning inquiry or knowledge). The word "prehistory" refers to the period of time before recorded history or written records.

Memory Tip

Think of 'pre-' meaning 'before' and 'history' as the study of past events — so prehistory is the time before we had written records of history.

Visually Confused Words