Neolithic

[nee-uh-lith-ik] /ˌni əˈlɪθ ɪk/
adjective
1.
(sometimes lowercase) Anthropology. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the last phase of the Stone Age, marked by the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and the manufacture of pottery and textiles: commonly thought to have begun c9000–8000 b.c. in the Middle East.
Compare Mesolithic, Paleolithic.
2.
(usually lowercase) belonging to or remaining from an earlier era; outdated; passé.
Origin
1860-65; neo- + -lithic
Related forms
preneolithic, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Neolithic

Neolithic

/ˌniːəʊˈlɪθɪk/
noun
1.
the cultural period that lasted in SW Asia from about 9000 to 6000 bc and in Europe from about 4000 to 2400 bc and was characterized by primitive crop growing and stock rearing and the use of polished stone and flint tools and weapons
adjective
2.
relating to this period
See also Mesolithic, Palaeolithic
Word Origin and History for Neolithic

neolithic

adj.

"pertaining to the later Stone Age," 1865, coined by John Lubbock, later Baron Avebury, (1834-1913) from neo- + -lith "stone."

Neolithic in Science
Neolithic
(nē'ə-lĭth'ĭk)
The period of human culture that began around 10,000 years ago in the Middle East and later in other parts of the world. It is characterized by the beginning of farming, the domestication of animals, the development of crafts such as pottery and weaving, and the making of polished stone tools. The Neolithic Period is generally considered to end for any particular region with the introduction of metalworking, writing, or other developments of urban civilization. Also called New Stone Age. Compare Mesolithic, Paleolithic.