How do you Brits and Canadians use the word 'antebellum'?

Literally it of course means "before the war", raising the question of which war. Here in the US we use it to mean "before the US civil war of the 1860's". We particularly speak of the "antebellum south", the pre-war southern world of plantations depicted in Gone with the Wind, a world that indeed was gone after the whirlwind of that war.

But today's newspaper used 'antebellum' to mean "before 9/11", saying, "Antebellum America was a different place. Nothing concentrates the mind more effectively than war." That made me realize that only USns would think of 'antebellum' in connection with the US civil war.

How do you think of it?

The short answer is that I don't.
Although I'm familiar with the meaning of the word I don't think I've ever used it (other than in this kind of discussion) or even heard or seen its use elsewhere.

To me 'antebellum' only ever means US pre-Civil-War, as a descriptor of architecture, social conditions, etc.

It doesn't mean anything like 'pre-war' in any sense I'd use that. In fact 'pre-war' and 'before the war' unequivocally refer to pre-1939 -- unless of course there's a very specific context of some other war.

Indeed. We would probably say "before the War" or "pre-war" - meaning WW2.

The only "ante" word I would use is "antedeluvian"

Shu, in the U.S. I have seen it used as pre-WWII, especially regarding the antebellum anti-Semitism.

Richard, I have always love "antedeluvian," and, in fact, I think I may have written a DD with it; if I didn't, I should have! There is also ante cibum (A.C.), which means "before meals." In nursing we often give medications A.C.

ante meridian is where we get am (for morning) from, isn't it.
Ante-post favourite is a racing thing.

We also have anteroom and antechamber. Thre is also ante in poker, meaning the first contribution that each player makes to the pot.

Antebellum for me means pre-US-Civil-War and pre-war means before WW2, unless the context calls for some other war.