preposterous

adjective

pre·​pos·​ter·​ous pri-ˈpä-st(ə-)rəs How to pronounce preposterous (audio)
Synonyms of preposterousnext
: contrary to nature, reason, or common sense : absurd
preposterously adverb
preposterousness noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of preposterous in a Sentence

The whole idea is preposterous! the idea that extraterrestrials built the pyramids is preposterous
Recent Examples on the Web But as a relatively new employee — and one of the few women scientists at a company of about 75,000 people — Hansen found the idea preposterous. —Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 20 May 2024 For almost all of the 19th century, the idea of an N.Y.P.D. officer’s conducting a forensic investigation — solving a crime, rather than simply beating a confession out of a suspect — would have seemed preposterous. —Steven Johnson, New York Times, 17 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for preposterous 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'preposterous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin praeposterus, literally, in the wrong order, from prae- + posterus hinder, following — more at posterior

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preposterous was in 1533

Dictionary Entries Near preposterous

prepossession

preposterous

prepostor

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Preposterous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preposterous. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.

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Kids Definition

preposterous

adjective
pre·​pos·​ter·​ous pri-ˈpäs-t(ə-)rəs How to pronounce preposterous (audio)
: making little or no sense : absurd
preposterously adverb
preposterousness noun
Etymology

from Latin praeposterus, literally, "having the rear part in front," from prae- "in front, before" and posterus "coming behind, following"

Word Origin
The familiar expression "putting the cart before the horse" comes very close to the literal sense of the word preposterous. The Romans formed their Latin adjective praeposterus from prae-, meaning "before," and posterus, meaning "following." They at first used it to mean "having that first which ought to be last," like having a cart ahead of the horse that is pulling it. Praeposterus was used to describe something that was out of the normal or logical order or position. From this developed the more general sense of "ridiculous, absurd." These meanings were borrowed into English in the 16th century. Although preposterous is seldom used in its literal sense nowadays, we still use it to describe something that seems so unreasonable as to be ridiculous.

More from Merriam-Webster on preposterous

Nglish: Translation of preposterous for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of preposterous for Arabic Speakers

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