primordial

adjective

prī-ˈmȯr-dē-əl How to pronounce primordial (audio)
Definition of primordialnext
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period all life on Earth supposedly came from a primordial ooze in existence many millions of years ago

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 primordial Planting fake dark matter signals There are several candidates for what dark matter could be, including primordial black holes or an undiscovered particle. — Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026 Dark stars are hypothetical primordial stars that, rather than producing energy through nuclear fusion, are instead powered by self-annihilating dark matter within their cores. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Their results recently published in the journal Physical Review Letters signal a major breakthrough in quantum physics—one that indicates a primordial quark-gluon plasma soup is actually possible with lighter ingredients. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026 The shapes that Heizer carved out of the earth seem both primordial and futuristic at the same time, evoking his fascination with Mesoamerican architecture. — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primordial
  1. ancient
  2. primitive
  3. primal
  4. primeval
  5. prehistoric
  6. early
Adjective
  • Adding fuel to the debate is the discovery of ancient artifacts — texts, frescoes, tombstone inscriptions — that seem, to some, to depict women as priests in the early Catholic Church.
    — Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The two genetic variants are also ancient, suggesting that the difference has persisted over evolutionary timescales.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • These primitive instincts are highly attuned to potential danger and are often triggered before our conscious mind registers that something isn’t right.
    — Georgia Casey, Allure, 9 Oct. 2026
  • When our skin senses heat, those signals travel to a primitive part of the brain that tells our body to cool down.
    — Will Stone, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • None of this takes into account our more primal drives and desires, which often sit at odds with the predictability and frictionlessness of technology.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Later on, in the fourth quarter, after an errant pass was batted upward and, eventually, into the hands of an offensive lineman, Kelce, ever the ambassador for his undersung position, was full of primal delight.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of primal
Adjective
  • The work required felling primeval trees measuring six feet in diameter and digging a deep trench through the marsh to accommodate boat traffic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
  • Yeti takes place deep in the Alps, where an avalanche has unleashed something primeval from the glacial ice.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026
Definition of primeval
Adjective
  • That absence presented a problem for scientists trying to understand how the animals spread around the prehistoric world.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • That said, prior archaeological digs have revealed similar prehistoric wooden weapons dating as far back as 400,000 years.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • In this golden age of cringe, that earlier art of transgression—with its tense silences, humiliations, and hostile disturbance of the performer-audience relationship—was channeled downstream.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • That earlier aircraft established a historical precedent for using the Hercules platform in this specialized role.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of early

Browse Nearby Words

primogenitors
primordial
primp
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“Primordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primordial. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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