atavism

noun

at·a·vism | \ ˈa-tə-ˌvi-zəm

Definition of atavism

1a : recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination

b : recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity architectural atavism

2 : an individual or character that manifests atavism : throwback He was a magnificent atavism, a man so purely primitive that he was of the type that came into the world before the development of the moral nature.— Jack London

Other Words from atavism Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About atavism

Other Words from atavism

atavistic \ ˌa-tə-ˈvi-stik

\ adjective

atavistically \ ˌa-tə-ˈvi-sti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Did you know?

Atavism derives via French from Latin atavus, meaning "ancestor." Avus in Latin means "grandfather," and it's believed that the at is related to atta, a word for "daddy." Atavism is a term rooted in evolutionary study, referring to instances when an organism possesses traits closer to a more remote ancestor, rather than its own parents. That sense dates to the early part of the 19th century. The word's figurative sense is a more recent development. These days one might describe a building that looks like it's from an earlier era as an atavism, or (though some people might cringe at this) apply the word to activities like reading actual paper books in the age of electronics.

Examples of atavism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Obama crashed against a wall of atavism and paranoia. — Matthew Continetti, National Review, 29 Jan. 2022 This gives his career an arc of atavism and abnegating tragedy, a willful artist hopelessly at the mercy of his obsessions. — Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 22 Sep. 2021 This was the heyday of Cesare Lombroso’s racist theories about recognizable criminal types and Max Nordau’s study Degeneration, which spread fear of atavism and perversion. — Michael Dirda, The New York Review of Books, 28 May 2020 Because the United States has proved successful in absorbing people from so many different backgrounds, the American political elite has, since the mid-20th century at least, tended to look on group identity as a kind of irrational atavism. — Park Macdougald, Daily Intelligencer, 19 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'atavism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.