The word “antediluvian” evokes images of a fantastically ancient age, long before recorded history. It conjures visions of a primordial world, filled with exotic creatures and cataclysmic events that wiped the slate clean. This distinctive adjective describes things existing or happening before a great flood, generally referring to the Biblical Genesis flood.
Origin of the Word Antediluvian
The word “antediluvian” comes from the Latin words “ante” meaning “before” and “diluvium” meaning “deluge” or “flood.” Specifically, it refers to the Biblical flood described in the Genesis account of Noah’s ark. The term was borrowed into English in the early 17th century to describe things that happened or existed before that great flood.
Meaning of Antediluvian
As an adjective, “antediluvian” describes something that happened, existed, or originated in the very ancient past, especially before a cataclysmic flood. It connotes extreme antiquity and old-fashioned customs or ideas.
Part of Speech
Adjective
Pronunciation of Antediluvian
an-tuh-di-loo-vee-en
Master’s Tip
Break the word into parts – “ante” means before, “diluvium” means flood. An easy way to remember it is to visualize very ancient things existing before a great flood wiped things out, like dinosaurs living before Noah’s flood. You can also associate it with other “ante” words like antebellum or ante meridiem.
Sentence Examples
- The museum displayed fossils of various antediluvian creatures like wooly mammoths, saber-toothed cats, and giant sloths.
- In The antediluvian world described by mythology, giants and monsters roamed The Earth.
- My grandfather holds rather antediluvian views about gender roles and technology.
- The legal precedents cited In The case seem positively antediluvian by modern standards.
- Some fringe religious groups believe that antediluvian civilizations possessed advanced technology.
