primitive

¹prim·i·tive

adj \ˈpri-mə-tiv\

Definition of PRIMITIVE

1

a : not derived : original, primary b : assumed as a basis; especially : axiomatic <primitive concepts>

2

a : of or relating to the earliest age or period : primeval <the primitive church> b : closely approximating an early ancestral type : little evolved <primitive mammals> c : belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development : crude, rudimentary <primitive technology> d : of, relating to, or constituting the assumed parent speech of related languages <primitive Germanic>

3

a : elemental, natural <our primitive feelings of vengeance — John Mackwood> b : of, relating to, or produced by a people or culture that is nonindustrial and often nonliterate and tribal <primitive art> c : naive d (1) : self-taught, untutored <primitive craftsmen> (2) : produced by a self-taught artist <a primitive painting>

— prim·i·tive·ly adverb

— prim·i·tive·ness noun

— prim·i·tiv·i·ty \ˌpri-mə-ˈti-və-tē\ noun

Examples of PRIMITIVE

1. the time when primitive man first learned to use fire
2. The technology they used was primitive and outdated.
3. The camp had only a primitive outdoor toilet.

Origin of PRIMITIVE

Middle English primitif, from Latin primitivus first formed, from primitiae first fruits, from primus first — more at prime

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PRIMITIVE

Synonyms: crude, low, rude, rudimentary

Antonyms: advanced, developed, evolved, high, higher, late

Related Words: basic, simple, uncomplicated; homely, homespun, unsophisticated; early, embryonic, primeval, primordial; backward, underdeveloped, undeveloped; aged, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, dated, fusty, hoary, musty, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, outworn, passé, past, quaint, unmodernized

Near Antonyms: complex, complicated, intricate, involved, sophisticated; full-blown, grown, mature, matured, perfected, ripe, ripened; civilized, cultivated, enlightened, refined; contemporary, current, latest, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, novel, now, present-day, space-age, state-of-the-art, supermodern, ultramodern, up-to-date

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate