of or relating to the period preceding the millennium
premillennial in American English
(ˌprimɪˈlɛniəl)
adjective
of or happening in the period before the millennium
Derived forms
premillennially (ˌpremilˈlennially)
adverb
premillennial in American English
(ˌprimɪˈleniəl)
adjective
of or pertaining to the period preceding the millennium
Derived forms
premillennially
adverb
Word origin
[1840–50; pre- + millennial]This word is first recorded in the period 1840–50. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: colloid, creationism, layout, plaque, sensationalismpre- is a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Latin, where it meant “before”(preclude; prevent); applied freely as a prefix, with the meanings “prior to,” “in advance of,” “early,”“beforehand,” “before,” “in front of,” and with other figurative meanings (preschool; prewar; prepay: preoral; prefrontal)
Examples of 'premillennial' in a sentence
premillennial
Out goes the premillennial tension of the novel, in comes a more general tension.