pre-Columbian

adjective

pre-Co·​lum·​bi·​an ˌprē-kə-ˈləm-bē-ən How to pronounce pre-Columbian (audio)
: preceding or belonging to the time before the arrival of Columbus in America

Examples of pre-Columbian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Archaeologists similarly used a drone to uncover the eroded remains of a large pre-Columbian earthworks buried beneath a field in southeastern Kansas. Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2025 To articulate those connections, Escobedo has drawn loosely on the precedents of pre-Columbian Latin America. Justin Davidson, Curbed, 10 Dec. 2024 It is known for being the cradle of several advanced pre-Hispanic (or pre-Columbian) civilizations. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2024 For many years, Nashville’s Parthenon museum housed hundreds of pre-Columbian artifacts in its collections. Ella Feldman, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for pre-Columbian 

Word History

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pre-Columbian was in 1854

Dictionary Entries Near pre-Columbian

Cite this Entry

“Pre-Columbian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pre-Columbian. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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