primeval

adjective

prī-ˈmē-vəl How to pronounce primeval (audio)
Definition of primevalnext
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of primeval There was another side to connect with, a rough, primeval, earthly energy. — Literary Hub, 3 Dec. 2025 The primeval lizards also harbor over 50 strains of bacteria in their mouths and their venomous saliva contains an anticoagulant and toxins that induce blood loss, shock, and paralysis in its victim. — Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 12 Nov. 2025 Sez Me … Since the first football player — all hairy and slumped over and naked — climbed out of the primeval swamp and tried to block an animal that hasn’t been seen since that giant asteroid smashed into Earth, it‘s been obvious. — Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025 Filled with unearthly landscapes, primeval forests, and twilight beaches, Anemone’s ornate visual design seems to underscore its characters’ emotional suffocation. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for primeval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primeval
  1. ancient
  2. primitive
  3. primal
  4. prehistoric
  5. primordial
  6. early
Adjective
  • These fashion houses interpreted the pearls as decorative elements with both ancient and ultramodern appeal.
    — Selene Oliva, Glamour, 13 July 2026
  • Elizabeth Pupo-Walker on percussion, who found an old ancient rusted paper cutter at Concord and loved the sound of it, so that’s on there at the beginning off .
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 13 July 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • After observation, scientists learned the meteorite was a CM1/2 carbonaceous chondrite -- an exceptionally rare and primitive type of meteorite, according to a paper published in Science Advances on Wednesday.
    — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 17 July 2026
  • There are two types of primitive CM meteorites — CM1 and CM2 — and the biggest difference between them is how much water altered their composition while they were attached to a larger asteroid.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 15 July 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Many of the messages are peddling a sense of pride and belonging — primal impulses at the heart of the MAGA movement.
    — Michelle Cottle, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
  • Watching a mother turtle haul herself ashore under a canopy of stars to lay her eggs is a truly primal and humbling sight.
    — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
Definition of primal
Adjective
  • The site was dated to a late prehistoric era in Thailand, a period of human settlement also known as the Iron Age, established to be around 1,500 to 2,500 years ago.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
  • Marine diets have been documented in modern wolves living in coastal Alaska and British Columbia, but researchers say there is no previous evidence of wolves in prehistoric Scandinavia relying so heavily on seafood.
    — Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • This is, Meghan O’Gieblyn argues in our June 25, 2026, issue, a distinctly parental anxiety, a primordial kind of maternal metaphor that appears over and over again in writing and interviews about AI development.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 11 July 2026
  • Ancient quasars offer glimpses into the universe in its chaotic infancy; but actually finding these primordial objects can be very difficult.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 7 July 2026
Definition of primordial
Adjective
  • In a statement, historic preservation group Historic KC said the building once served as the headquarters of the Western Newspaper Union, whose services supplied thousands of weekly newspapers through the country in the early 1900s.
    — Chris Higgins, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
  • The final plan, announced Thursday, includes early voting sites at Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, Afton Ridge Library, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s Kannapolis campus, and Cabarrus County EMS Headquarters.
    — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026
Definition of early

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primes
primeval
priming
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Cite this Entry

“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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