Neanderthal
noun
Ne·an·der·thal
nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl 
-ˌthȯl
-ˌthȯl
nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl
plural Neanderthals
1
or less commonly Neandertal
nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl
or Neanderthal man
or Neandertal man plural Neandertals or Neanderthal men or Neandertal men
: a hominid (Homo neanderthalensis synonym H. sapiens neanderthalensis) known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia that lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago
nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl
2
: a person who suggests a caveman in appearance, mentality, or behavior
… heckled by a bunch of Neanderthals …—
Bonitta Best
Bonitta BestBut the man is also not a Neanderthal. His mother was an English teacher, and her son quotes Henry David Thoreau …—Seth Emerson
Seth Emerson
Neanderthal
adjective
or less commonly Neandertal
Examples of Neanderthal in a Sentence
I can't believe I was married to that Neanderthal for three years.
Some Neanderthals continue to resist the education reform bill.
Recent Examples on the Web
Regardless of the reason for Neanderthals’ demise, many humans have Neanderthal DNA today.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
And that’s mostly true; Neanderthals in both places used broadly similar techniques to make similar tools: triangular flakes and points, knapped from flint.
—ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
New research provides evidence that the condition arises from lingering levels of Neanderthal DNA in our genomes, which may cause people with Chiari to have a more compact and flatter occipital bone — the part of the skull that cups the cerebellum.
—Ruairi MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2025
Beyond its direct usage, the bone tool also helps contextualize Neanderthal’s relationship to cave lions, which coexisted alongside them for hundreds of thousands of years.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Neanderthal
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Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025
And that’s mostly true; Neanderthals in both places used broadly similar techniques to make similar tools: triangular flakes and points, knapped from flint.
—ArsTechnica, 18 July 2025
New research provides evidence that the condition arises from lingering levels of Neanderthal DNA in our genomes, which may cause people with Chiari to have a more compact and flatter occipital bone — the part of the skull that cups the cerebellum.
—Ruairi MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2025
Beyond its direct usage, the bone tool also helps contextualize Neanderthal’s relationship to cave lions, which coexisted alongside them for hundreds of thousands of years.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for Neanderthal
Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Neanderthal. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Neanderthal
noun
Ne·an·der·thal
nē-ˈan-dər-ˌthȯl
-ˌtȯl
-ˌtȯl
nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl
1
or Neandertal
-ˌtȯl
: a primate mammal that belongs to the same family as human beings, lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago, is known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, and is characterized especially by a stocky muscular build and prominent browridge
-ˌtäl
called also Neanderthal man
2
: one who suggests a caveman in appearance, behavior, or intelligence
Neanderthal
adjective
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