WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
Ne•an•der•thal /niˈændɚˌθɔl, neɪˈɑndɚˌtɑl/USA pronunciation
adj.
n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- Physical AnthropologyAlso, Ne•an•der•tal /niˈændɚˌtɔl, -ˌtɑl/.USA pronunciation of or relating to a now extinct human people of Europe and Asia who lived from around 100,000 B.C. to 40,000 B.C.
- Informal Terms[ often: neanderthal] crude;
primitive.
n. [countable]
- Physical Anthropologya member of the Neanderthal people.
- Informal Terms[often: neanderthal] a person of crude or primitive behavior or mode of thought.
Ne•an•der•thal
(nē an′dər thôl′, -tôl′, -täl′; nā än′dər täl′),USA pronunciation adj.
n.
Ne•an′der•thal′er, n.
- Physical Anthropologyof or pertaining to Neanderthal man.
- Informal Terms(often l.c.) primitive, unenlightened, or reactionary;
culturally or intellectually backward.
n.
- Physical AnthropologySee Neanderthal man.
- Informal Terms(often l.c.)
- an unenlightened or ignorant person;
barbarian. - a reactionary;
a person with very old-fashioned ideas.
- an unenlightened or ignorant person;
- after Neanderthal, valley in Germany, near Düsseldorf, where evidence of Neanderthal man was first found 1860–65
'Neanderthal' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):