precommunist

Precommunist is an adjective used to describe conditions, societies, or periods that precede the establishment of a communist system or state. The term is not a formal category and its precise meaning varies with context and author.

In Marxist theory, discussions of precommunist conditions often refer to the historical stages that must be passed before a fully developed communist society can emerge. Classical historiography describes a progression from earlier forms of production and social organization to socialism and then to communism. In this usage, precommunist conditions might denote societies lacking a stateless, classless structure and undergoing transformations through phases such as feudalism or capitalism, which proponents see as prerequisites or transitional periods toward communism. However, primitive or early communal forms sometimes described in Marxist thought are distinct from the communist stage itself.

In contemporary or political discourse, "precommunist" can describe a country, regime, or period before the establishment of a communist government. It may refer to reforms, revolutions, or transitional governments that preceded a formal socialist or communist system. The term is not standardized and its meaning depends on the framework used by the analyst, whether they appeal to a historical-materialist stage model or a narrative of political transition.

See also related concepts such as primitive communism, stages of historical materialism, transitional societies, and discussions of transitional phases in socialist theory.