1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the period or ideas before the emergence of organized feminism or feminist consciousness
Usage: historical; often used in academic contexts to describe attitudes, literature, or movements predating modern feminism

1. a person or work from the period before organized feminism developed
Usage: rare; primarily used in literary and historical scholarship

Examples

• The novel reflects prefeminist attitudes toward women's roles in society.
• Scholars debate whether prefeminist literature contains proto-feminist elements.
• Her writing is considered prefeminist, predating the women's liberation movement by decades.
• The prefeminist era saw limited opportunities for women in higher education.
• Some critics argue that dismissing prefeminist thinkers overlooks important intellectual history.