anteluminary
|an-te-lu-mi-na-ry|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.təˈluː.mɪn.ər.i/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tɪˈluː.mɪn.əri/
before the light
Etymology
'anteluminary' originates from Latin, specifically the prefix 'ante-' meaning 'before' and the root 'lumin-' from Latin 'lumen' meaning 'light'.
'anteluminary' changed from Medieval/Latinized forms such as 'antelūminārius' (or Late Latin constructions combining 'ante-' + 'luminarius') and entered English in rare/archaic usage as 'anteluminous'/'anteluminary'.
Initially, it meant 'pertaining to or occurring before the light (dawn)'; over time its use remained narrowly tied to that temporal sense and sometimes broadened figuratively to mean 'preparatory' or 'preceding'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
occurring or existing before dawn; relating to the period just before sunrise.
The sailors noted an anteluminary glow on the horizon long before the sun rose.
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Adjective 2
archaic/figurative: coming before or preparatory to a more prominent event (i.e., preliminary).
Those remarks served an anteluminary function to the main announcement.
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Last updated: 2025/08/22 03:51