adj

antediluvian

Antediluvian (adj) means belonging or pertaining to, or existing in, the time prior to the great flood described in Genesis, or (by extension) to a great or destructive flood or deluge described in other mythologies.

adj

Belonging or pertaining to, or existing in, the time prior to the great flood described in Genesis, or (by extension) to a great or destructive flood or deluge described in other mythologies.

Of animals and plants: long extinct; prehistoric.

Of a person or thing: very old; ancient.

Of attitudes, ideas, etc.: extremely old-fashioned, especially to a laughable extent; antiquated.

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Etymology

PIE word *dwís From ante- (prefix meaning ‘prior to in time’) + Latin dīluvium (“a flood”) + -an (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’ forming adjectives; and forming agent nouns), referring the story of Noah’s Ark, through which God rescues Noah, his family, and examples of all the world’s animals from the great flood, which is related in Genesis 6–9 of the Bible. Dīluvium is derived from dīluō (“to wash away”) (from dis- (prefix meaning ‘apart, asunder, in two’) + lavō (“to wash”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewh₃- (“to wash”))) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). The English word is analyzable as ante- + diluvian. Adjective sense 2 (“long extinct”) is from the fact that such animals and plants were originally believed to have perished in the biblical flood referred to above.

Rhymes for antediluvian

Asian avian Fabian Indian Syrian simian median Italian Russian Persian Serbian Latvian

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Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of antediluvian?

"antediluvian" (adj) means belonging or pertaining to, or existing in, the time prior to the great flood described in Genesis, or (by extension) to a great or destructive flood or deluge described in other mythologies.

What are the different meanings of antediluvian?

"antediluvian" has 3 main meanings: 1. Belonging or pertaining to, or existing in, the time prior to the great flood described in Genesis, or (by extension) to a great or destructive flood or deluge described in other mythologies; 2. Of animals and plants: long extinct; prehistoric; 3. Of a person or thing: very old; ancient.