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
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
Test Your Vocabulary
The Exceptions Quiz III
-
- Which of these words does not mean "nonsense"?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Anagram puzzles meet word search.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Share atavism
Time Traveler for atavism
The first known use of atavism was in 1833
See more words from the same year