Meanings
adjectiveAurignacian (not comparable)
- not comparableFrom or pertaining to a culture of the Upper Paleolithic, located in Europe and southwest Asia from circa 45,000 to 35,000 years ago, known from archaeological remains.
nounAurignacian (plural Aurignacians)
plural Aurignacians
- A member of the Aurignacian culture.
While the Aurignacians were capable hunters of the largest mammals, they were not equipped with the specialist flint points characteristic of later European cultures.
2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 218
Origin
From Aurignac + -ian, after the French town of Aurignac, where remains from the culture were found.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Aurignacian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Aurignacian
MLA
“Aurignacian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Aurignacian. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Aurignacian,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Aurignacian.
Source: Aurignacian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.