Definition of "antebellum" []

• Belonging to the period before a war, especially the American Civil War. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Pelecanos has written 16 crime novels that span the last few decades of the city's life, while Jones, while he's best known for his single novel, The Known World, set in antebellum Virginia, is beloved by residents of the District for his two brilliant short story collections, Lost in the City and All Aunt Hagar's Children."
• "My argument here draws on Timothy R. Mahoney's observations on the function of camaraderie among business rivals in antebellum Midwestern cities."
• "The following passage underscores my point that it is impossible, or at least irresponsible, to comprehend female literary consumption in antebellum America without including British reprints in the discussion."