What does "neolithic" mean?
A person who lived during the New Stone Age.
Neolithic
/ˌni.oʊˈlɪθ.ɪk/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who lived during the New Stone Age.
- Grammar: neolithic is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: antiquarian, culture, late stone age, neolith.
- Useful contrasts: Mesolithic, Paleolithic, contemporary.
- Usage evidence: Göbekli Tepe is a neolithic archaeological site in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey.
How to use "neolithic"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "neolithic" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "neolithic" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "neolithic" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "neolithic" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "neolithic" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "antiquarian" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "neolithic", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A person who lived during the New Stone Age.
"For the Neolithics, the stone was flint, and it's still impressive to see what they were able to achieve with it."
Adjective
- 1 Of or relating to the New Stone Age. not-comparable
"Tokens are first identified at around the same time as the local peoples changed from a life based on hunting and gathering to one based on agriculture. The tokens, as Schmandt-Besserat says, "were part and parcel of the Neolithic phenomenon; that is, the so-called agricultural revolution." (Before Writing 41)."
- 2 Alternative spelling of Neolithic. alt-of, alternative
"With this thought in his mind, Challenger gave a contemptuous and condescending consent to the proposal that he should grace with his presence a proceeding which was, in his opinion, more fitted to the stone cabin of a neolithic savage than to the serious attention of one who represented the accumulated culture and wisdom of the human race."
- 3 hopelessly outdated informal
"What am I supposed to do with this neolithic piece of machinery?"
Adjective
- 1 of or relating to the most recent period of the Stone Age (following the mesolithic) wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The period of prehistory from circa 8500 to 4500 BCE.
"Holonyms: Stone Age < prehistory"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Göbekli Tepe is a neolithic archaeological site in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "neolithic"?
Common synonyms include: antiquarian, culture, late stone age, neolith, new stone age, prehistoric.
How do you use "neolithic" in a sentence?
Göbekli Tepe is a neolithic archaeological site in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey.
How do you pronounce "neolithic"?
Pronounced /ˌni.oʊˈlɪθ.ɪk/.
Etymology
From neo- + -lithic. Coined by English banker, Liberal politician, philanthropist, scientist and polymath John Lubbock, 1st Baron Avebury, in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system.