antediluvian

English

Illustration of the deluge, from the nineteenth-century illustrated Bible of Gustave Doré

Etymology

From Latin ante- (“before”) +‎ diluvium (“flood”); in reference to the story of Noah’s Ark (Genesis 6–9), an early episode in the Bible.

Adjective

antediluvian (comparative more antediluvian, superlative most antediluvian)

  1. Ancient or antiquated; old; prehistoric.
  2. Extremely dated.
    Those ideas are antediluvian.
  3. Pertaining or belonging to the time period prior to a great or destructive flood or deluge.
  4. (biblical) Pertaining or belonging to the time prior to Noah's Flood.

Quotations

  • For quotations of use of this term, see Citations:antediluvian.

Synonyms

Coordinate terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Noun

antediluvian (plural antediluvians)

  1. One who lived prior to Noah's Flood.
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