Prehistoric

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the period of time before written records existed
2. Pertaining to the time long before any recorded documentation or scripts were created
3. Connected to the age predating the use of writing systems for recording events or information

Etymology: "Prehistoric" is a plain compound: the Latin-derived prefix "pre-", meaning "before", attached to "historic", which in turn describes what belongs to recorded history. Put together, the word marks the stretch of time that lies before anyone wrote things down. The term is similar to an earlier, slightly different formation, "ante-historic", which uses the Latin "ante" with the same meaning as "pre-".

Synonyms: ancient, primeval, antiquated

Antonyms: modern, contemporary