prewar

adjective

pre·​war ˌprē-ˈwȯr How to pronounce prewar (audio)
variants or pre-war
: occurring or existing before a war and especially before World War II
prewar conditions
the prewar era/period/years
the country's prewar population
prewar levels of industrial production
an apartment in a prewar building

Examples of prewar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The plans mark a turning point for a city that long identified itself as the capital of the Confederacy and the spiritual home of the Lost Cause, the idea that the prewar South was a graceful land of happy enslaved people and noble White aristocrats. Gregory S. Schneider, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024 When prewar claims about the state of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs turned out not to be true, many came to believe some other agenda had driven Washington’s actions—familial revenge, say, or ideological zeal, or a desire to profit from Iraqi resources. Gideon Rose, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 Avdiivka’s prewar population of over 30,000 has shrunk to around 1,000 residents, the Associated Press reported, citing city officials. Kostiantyn Khudov, Washington Post, 18 Feb. 2024 Rafah's prewar population of roughly 280,000 swelled to 1.4 million in a span of months as people crammed into overflowing shelters and sprawling tent encampments to avoid the escalating combat. John Bacon, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024 Rafah had a prewar population of roughly 280,000, and according to the United Nations is now home to about 1.4 million additional people living with relatives, in shelters or in sprawling tent camps after fleeing fighting elsewhere in Gaza. Josef Federman, arkansasonline.com, 10 Feb. 2024 The book begins at Oppenheimer’s funeral and then flashes back to his childhood, before churning on through the prewar years and the development of the bomb. Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 29 Jan. 2024 The few standing apartment units available to rent – a rapidly decreasing commodity in Gaza – go for a minimum of $1,500 a month for 120 square meters, 10 times the prewar rate. Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Feb. 2024 Conricus said his understanding is that the zone will extend just over half a mile from the border — more than double the size of the prewar buffer area. Jonathan Baran, Washington Post, 24 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prewar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prewar was in 1868

Dictionary Entries Near prewar

Cite this Entry

“Prewar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prewar. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prewar

adjective
pre·​war
ˈprē-ˈwȯ(ə)r
: occurring or existing before a war

More from Merriam-Webster on prewar

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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