Meanings
Borrowed from French avant la lettre (literally “before the letter”).
How to pronounce "avant la lettre":
Before the term was coined (the term being a word or phrase used just previously in an anachronistic way)
Example: "Suffragettes were feminists avant la lettre."
before lettering, before letters; proof engraving, proof before letters
Example: "épreuve, gravure avant la lettre"
Example: "Cette estampe a fait l’objet de cinq tirages avant la lettre."
avant la lettre (before the term was coined)
Example: "C’était un écologiste avant la lettre."
Example Sentences
1
He was an environmentalist avant la lettre, focusing on conservation long before it became popular.
2
She was a feminist avant la lettre, advocating for women's rights well before the movement gained momentum.
3
The artist was a surrealist avant la lettre, exploring dreamlike imagery before the surrealist movement emerged.
4
He was a philosopher avant la lettre, questioning existence and reality long before formal philosophy developed.
5
The scientist was a futurist avant la lettre, envisioning technological advancements ahead of contemporary society.
