1
as in rudimentary
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
primitive wooden tools were used before the Iron Age
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
a primitive period in church history when members still lived in communes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
her taste in art was still primitive, but she knew schlock when she saw it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barbarian
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primitive
Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 1 May 2026
The resort offers a watsu treatment in the Kaashi hydrotherapy hall, where guests float in the water with a therapist to support them, tapping into primitive feelings of being back in the womb.
—Ann Lee, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, humans have regressed into being primitives that the apes hunt for sport, or feed out of pity from beside their campfire.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Adjective
In scenes where Yura remembers her childhood and its connection to the beast, the animation takes on a gauzier, more primitive style that matches the film’s more cosmic, oceanic themes.
—Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 1 May 2026
The resort offers a watsu treatment in the Kaashi hydrotherapy hall, where guests float in the water with a therapist to support them, tapping into primitive feelings of being back in the womb.
—Ann Lee, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
Noun
It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, humans have regressed into being primitives that the apes hunt for sport, or feed out of pity from beside their campfire.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
-
In West Texas, some locals were hopeful that the exigencies of life in a rural area, where recordkeeping can be rudimentary and property boundaries aren’t always clear, might stymie the project, at least for a little while.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
Their earliest and biggest target has been Dax, a 32-year-old janitor-turned-rapper from Canada who spits overwrought motivational lyrics over rudimentary beats.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
Clouds is the first luxury retreat for visitors to this national park—a more ancient and biodiverse ecosystem than the Virunga Mountains, inhabited by Rwanda and Congo’s gorilla population.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Images of the shelter slipped the Russian choke hold to appear on the world’s screens—intact and unbowed amid the rubble, like a temple time-transported from some more ancient siege, the faces of those within drained but resolute.—
James Verini,
The Atlantic,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
The filmmaker masterfully integrates the naive art style into the film’s design and animation techniques.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
This movement, known as critical legal studies, was associated with the political left, and its exponents, known as crits, loved to disparage liberal theorists’ devotion to the Constitution as naïve and counterproductive.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
In the reboot, Russell Crowe plays Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, the warrior first played by Connery, and Dave Bautista is The Kurgan, Brown’s brutal barbarian from the first movie.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2026
-
In most academic histories of European imperialism written in this century, the Europeans are the barbarians, killing and raping and looting on an unprecedented scale.—
David A. Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mitsuye’s panic flipped into something more primal, more mom-like.—
Andre Mouchard,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
There’s a physically primal element that feels new to Hathaway here, and not just in the film’s early convulsive silent dance sequence.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The useful answer may be simpler than expected once the real priority becomes obvious.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
14 May 2026
-
The decor with sheepskin rugs and arm lamps for reading lights is neither flashy nor overtly quirky, but simple and homey, as if it were designed by a tasteful Scandinavian grandmother who relocated to the wilds of Patagonia.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
Why did 12-year veteran Maden and 14-year veteran Algerio savage longstanding body camera policies?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
My first indication of danger came when a savage gust of wind hit us broad side.—
Jim Hoagland,
Outdoor Life,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
An unusual tooth found in a cave offers a rare glimpse into a surprising procedure prehistoric humans might have performed to fix a cavity 59,000 years ago.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
-
In September 2023, UNESCO added Tell es-Sultan—a prehistoric site in Jericho—to its World Heritage List, drawing criticism from some far-right Israeli politicians and organizations.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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