prehistory
nounUK /ˌpriːˈhɪs.tər.i/
US /ˌpriːˈhɪs.tɚ.i/
Prehistory is the time long ago before people learned to write things down.
Dinosaurs lived in prehistory, long before humans appeared.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The study of the period before written records.
She studied prehistory at university to learn about early humans.
3. The early stages of development of something before it was recorded.
The prehistory of the internet includes many forgotten experiments.
4. The events and conditions of a place before it was documented.
The prehistory of the village is known only through old tools found nearby.