adj · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˌæn.tiˈbɛl.əm/
rhymes with -ɛləm
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:AE2 N T IH0 B EH1 L AH0 M
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of the time period prior to a war.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
Examples
A renewed sense of national pride arose in Hitler's antebellum Germany.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Of the time period prior to a war.
Of the period prior to the American Civil War, especially in reference to the culture of the southern states.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, not-comparable
Examples
See also: Antebellum South
Slavery was an accepted part of antebellum plantation life.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective satellite
Meaning 3
belonging to a period before a war especially the American Civil War
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin ante bellum (literally “before the war”).
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
d'avantguerra
— of a period of time prior to a war
Chinese Mandarin:
戰前的 /战前的
— of a period of time prior to a war
Czech:
předválečný
— of a period of time prior to a war
Danish:
førkrigs-
— of a period of time prior to a war
Dutch:
vooroorlogs
— of a period of time prior to a war
Esperanto:
antaŭmilita
— of a period of time prior to a war
Estonian:
sõjaeelne
— of a period of time prior to a war
Finnish:
sotaa edeltävä
— of a period of time prior to a war
French:
d'avant-guerre
— of a period of time prior to a war
Georgian:
ომამდელი
(omamdeli)
— of a period of time prior to a war
German:
Vorkriegszeit
— of a period of time prior to a war
German:
Vorkriegs-
— of a period of time prior to a war
Greek:
προπολεμικός
(propolemikós)
— of a period of time prior to a war
Irish:
réamhchogaidh
— of a period of time prior to a war
Italian:
anteguerra
— of a period of time prior to a war
Italian:
prebellico
— of a period of time prior to a war
Japanese:
戦前
— of a period of time prior to a war
Korean:
전쟁 전의
(jeonjaeng jeonui)
— of a period of time prior to a war
Norwegian Bokmål:
førkrigs-
— of a period of time prior to a war
Polish:
przedwojenny
— of a period of time prior to a war
Portuguese:
pré-guerra
— of a period of time prior to a war
Portuguese:
pré-bélico
— of a period of time prior to a war
Romanian:
antebelic
— of a period of time prior to a war
Russian:
довое́нный
(dovojénnyj)
— of a period of time prior to a war
Spanish:
prebélico
— of a period of time prior to a war
Swedish:
förkrigs-
— of a period of time prior to a war
Turkish:
savaştan evvel
— of a period of time prior to a war
Vietnamese:
tiền chiến
— of a period of time prior to a war
Welsh:
cyn y rhyfel
— of a period of time prior to a war
