avant la lettre

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Idiom 2 French 2.1 Idiom

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From French avant la lettre (“‘before the letter’”)

[edit] Idiom

avant la lettre

1. (idiomatic) An example of a term before the term was used. Used when using a term anachronistically.

   Suffragettes were feminists avant la lettre.

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[edit] French

[edit] Idiom

avant la lettre (avant la lettre)

1. (idiomatic) An example of a term before the term was used. Used when using a term anachronistically. Literally, “before the letter”.