preindustrial
adjective
pre·in·dus·tri·al
ˌprē-in-ˈdə-strē-əl 
variants
or pre-industrial
1
: not having developed or adopted industry : not industrialized
preindustrial agrarian societies
preindustrial civilization
2
: occurring, existing, or originating before the development or adoption of industry
in preindustrial times
preindustrial levels of carbon dioxide
preindustrial artifacts
still made using preindustrial methods
also
: resembling that of preindustrial times
a return to a preindustrial way of life
Examples of preindustrial in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The organization's 2018 report on limiting global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels boosted that goal's standing in international negotiations and helped spur a global youth protest movement to act more quickly.
—
Maria Curi, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Climatic volatility, agricultural uncertainty, and the formation, consolidation and breakdown of preindustrial agrarian states
Sumerian Literature.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025
In preindustrial farming communities, people usually had to depend on whoever was around them—mostly family or neighbors—for support.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025
The planet’s average temperature was 1.46 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial (1850-1900) average, just shy of the Paris Climate Agreement’s 1.5-degree ceiling for irreversible damage.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preindustrial
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Maria Curi, Axios, 20 Feb. 2025
Climatic volatility, agricultural uncertainty, and the formation, consolidation and breakdown of preindustrial agrarian states
Sumerian Literature.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025
In preindustrial farming communities, people usually had to depend on whoever was around them—mostly family or neighbors—for support.
—Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 24 Jan. 2025
The planet’s average temperature was 1.46 degrees Celsius warmer than the preindustrial (1850-1900) average, just shy of the Paris Climate Agreement’s 1.5-degree ceiling for irreversible damage.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preindustrial
Cite this Entry
“Preindustrial.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preindustrial. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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