ANTEDILUVIAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does antediluvian mean? 

• ANTEDILUVIAN (noun)
  The noun ANTEDILUVIAN has 2 senses:

1. any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge

2. a very old person

  Familiarity information: ANTEDILUVIAN used as a noun is rare.

• ANTEDILUVIAN (adjective)
  The adjective ANTEDILUVIAN has 2 senses:

1. of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

2. so extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

  Familiarity information: ANTEDILUVIAN used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ANTEDILUVIAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of the early patriarchs who lived prior to the Noachian deluge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

antediluvian; antediluvian patriarch

Hypernyms ("antediluvian" is a kind of...):

patriarch (any of the early biblical characters regarded as fathers of the human race)

Derivation:

antediluvial (of or relating to the period before the biblical flood)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A very old person

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

ancient; antediluvian

Hypernyms ("antediluvian" is a kind of...):

golden ager; old person; oldster; senior citizen (an elderly person)

• ANTEDILUVIAN (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of or relating to the period before the biblical flood

Classified under:

Relational adjectives (pertainyms)

Synonyms:

antediluvial; antediluvian

Context example:

antediluvian man

Pertainym:

diluvial (of or connected with a deluge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

So extremely old as seeming to belong to an earlier period

Synonyms:

antediluvian; antiquated; archaic

Context example:

archaic laws

Similar:

old (of long duration; not new)

 Context examples 

You are antediluvian anyway, with your Nietzsche ideas.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)