premodern

P3R1E1M3O1D2E1R1N1

adjective

Preceding or predating the modern era.

“a premodern Chinese sculpture”

OriginEnglish modern ← Middle English pre- ← Latin prae- →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

adjectivepremodern (not comparable)

alternative pre-modern

  1. not comparablePreceding or predating the modern era.

    a premodern Chinese sculpture

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Englishmodern
  10. Englishpremodern

From pre- + modern.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 前現代 /前现代
  • 前現代 /前现代predating the modern era
German vormodern, prämodern
  • vormodernpredating the modern era
  • prämodernpredating the modern era
Polish przednowoczesny, premodernistyczny
  • przednowoczesnypredating the modern era
  • premodernistycznypredating the modern era
Cite this entry
APA

premodern. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premodern

MLA

“premodern.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premodern. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “premodern,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/premodern.

Source: premodern on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.