primeval

adjective

pri·​me·​val prī-ˈmē-vəl 

1

: of or relating to the earliest ages (as of the world or human history) : ancient, primitive

… 100 acres of primeval forest which has never felt an ax.

—Mary R. Zimmer

2

: primordial sense 1b

primevally

prī-ˈmē-və-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

First things first. "Primeval" comes from the Latin words primus, meaning "first, and aevum, meaning "age." In Latin, those terms were brought together to form "primaevus," a word that means "of or relating to the earliest ages." Other English words that descend from "primus" include "prime" and "primary," "primordial" (a synonym of "primeval"), and "primitive." "Primus" also gave rise to some terms for folks who are number one in charge, including "prince" and "principal."

Synonyms of primeval

• ancient
• primitive
• primal
• prehistoric
• primordial
• early

Examples of primeval in a Sentence

primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed

Recent Examples on the Web

This 50-square-mile crescent in the Pacific has the southernmost coral reef in the world and a wealth of wilderness walks that include everything from primeval banyan forests to endangered ground-dwelling birds. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Dec. 2025

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California Time slows to a primeval pace in the sequoia groves that make up Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where arboreal giants have watched the seasons come and go for more than 2,000 years. —Sarah L. Stewart, Travel + Leisure, 10 Dec. 2025

Astronomers were surprised to find that this primeval explosion strongly resembles today’s supernovae, which occur when massive stars run out of fuel for the nuclear fusion reactions that power them and then collapse under their own gravity. —Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 9 Dec. 2025

There was another side to connect with, a rough, primeval, earthly energy. —Literary Hub, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

primeve, in same sense, or its source, Late Latin prīmaevus "earliest, original, principal" (going back to Latin, "young, youthful," from prīmus "first, foremost, earliest" + -aevus, adjective derivative of aevum "age, lifetime") + -al entry 1 — more at prime entry 1, aye entry 3

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for primeval

• coeval
• medieval
• retrieval
• upheaval
• evil
• weevil

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Kids Definition

primeval

adjective

pri·​me·​val prī-ˈmē-vəl 

: belonging to the earliest time : primitive

primevally

-və-lē 

adverb

Etymology

from Latin primaevus "relating to the very earliest ages," from primus "first" and aevum "age" — related to prime