prelapsarian
/pɹiːlapˈsɛːɹɪən/
prelapsarian · adj — of, or relating to the period of innocence before the Fall of man; innocent, unspoiled. It carries an Arena rating of 1817, earned across 68 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, prelapsarian ranks #127 of 17,123 for Most Storied Words, #180 of 42,878 for Qualifying, #772 of 17,153 for Most Sublime Words, #1,261 of 17,128 for Most Ponderous Words.
prelapsarian is pronounced /pɹiːlapˈsɛːɹɪən/.
Why “prelapsarian” is a great word
Of or relating to the period of pristine innocence and unspoiled purity before the biblical Fall of humankind. From the English prefix pre- (“before”) + the Latin lapsus (“a fall, slip”) + the English suffix -arian (forming adjectives of belonging or relation); first attested in 1834. Unlike “postlapsarian,” which names a world of sin and sorrow after Eden’s exile, or “halcyon,” which merely evokes a nostalgic, secular golden age, “prelapsarian” carries the specific gravity of a paradise untouched by knowledge. It is the taste of fruit eaten without shame, the unselfconscious nakedness of bodies in morning light, the lion sleeping unafraid beside the lamb—a quiet, heavy with the weight of what is about to be lost.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
From pre- + Latin lapsus (“fall”) + -arian.
adj
- Of, or relating to the period of innocence before the Fall of man; innocent, unspoiled.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Words closest in meaning
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