PREPOS'TEROUS, adjective [Latin proeposterus; proe, before, and posterus, latter.] 1. Literally, having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order. The method I take may be censured as preposterous because I treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature. 2. Perverted; wrong; absurd; contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; as, a republican government in the hands of females, is preposterous To draw general conclusions from particular facts, is preposterous reasoning. 3. Foolish; absurd; applied to persons.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI