Antebellum Definition

ăntē-bĕləm

adjective

Belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War.

American Heritage

Before the war; specif., before the American Civil War.

Webster's New World

Of the time period prior to a war.

A renewed sense of national pride arose in Hitler's antebellum Germany.

Wiktionary

In the United States of America, of the period prior to the American Civil War, especially in reference to the culture of the southern states.

Slavery was an accepted part of antebellum plantation life.

Wiktionary

Origin of Antebellum

From the Latin phrase ante bellum (literally “before the war”), from ante (“before”) + bellum (“war”).

From Wiktionary
From Latin ante bellum before the war ante before ante– bellum war

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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