Neanderthal
noun
Ne·an·der·thal
nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl 
-ˌthȯl
-ˌthȯl
nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl
plural Neanderthals
1
or less commonly Neandertal
nē-ˈan-dər-ˌtȯl
or Neanderthal man
or Neandertal man plural Neandertals or Neanderthal men or Neandertal men
: a hominid (Homo neanderthalensis synonym H. sapiens neanderthalensis) known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia that lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago
nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl
2
: a person who suggests a caveman in appearance, mentality, or behavior
… heckled by a bunch of Neanderthals …—
Bonitta Best
Bonitta BestBut the man is also not a Neanderthal. His mother was an English teacher, and her son quotes Henry David Thoreau …—Seth Emerson
Seth Emerson
Neanderthal
adjective
or less commonly Neandertal
Synonyms
Examples of Neanderthal in a Sentence
I can't believe I was married to that Neanderthal for three years.
Some Neanderthals continue to resist the education reform bill.
Recent Examples on the Web
The population dynamics identified in this research could be a major reason why Neanderthals disappeared 40,000 years ago, Akey noted.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 31 July 2024
The team selected two carrion crows, two collared doves, and a wood pigeon–similar species to what Neanderthals might have eaten.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 July 2024
For example, there is a body of work that examines how Neanderthals likely prepared larger game.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2024
Fully 60 percent of these regions were included in the Neanderthal DNA identified in African populations.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Neanderthal 
Katie Hunt, CNN, 31 July 2024
The team selected two carrion crows, two collared doves, and a wood pigeon–similar species to what Neanderthals might have eaten.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 July 2024
For example, there is a body of work that examines how Neanderthals likely prepared larger game.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 24 July 2024
Fully 60 percent of these regions were included in the Neanderthal DNA identified in African populations.
—John Timmer, Ars Technica, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for Neanderthal
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Neanderthal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Neanderthal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Neanderthal. Accessed 2 Sep. 2024.
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Neanderthal
noun
Ne·an·der·thal
nē-ˈan-dər-ˌthȯl
-ˌtȯl
-ˌtȯl
nā-ˈän-dər-ˌtäl
1
or Neandertal
-ˌtȯl
: a primate mammal that belongs to the same family as human beings, lived from about 30,000 to 200,000 years ago, is known from skeletal remains in Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, and is characterized especially by a stocky muscular build and prominent browridge
-ˌtäl
called also Neanderthal man
2
: one who suggests a caveman in appearance, behavior, or intelligence
Neanderthal
adjective
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