Definition of primitive
(Entry 1 of 2)
2a : of or relating to the earliest age or period : primeval the primitive church
b : closely approximating an early ancestral type : little evolved
primitive mammals
c : belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development : crude, rudimentary primitive technology
d : of, relating to, or constituting the assumed parent speech of related languages
primitive Germanic
b now sometimes offensive : of, relating to, or produced by a people or culture that is nonindustrial and often nonliterate and tribal
primitive art
c : naive
d(1) : self-taught, untutored primitive craftsmen
(2) : produced by a self-taught artist
a primitive painting
primitive
nounDefinition of primitive (Entry 2 of 2)
1a : something primitive specifically : a primitive idea, term, or proposition
b : a root word
2a(1) : an artist of an early period of a culture or artistic movement
(2) : a later imitator or follower of such an artist
b(1) : a self-taught artist
(2) : an artist whose work is marked by directness and naïveté
c : a work of art produced by a primitive artist
d : a typically rough or simple usually handmade and antique home accessory or furnishing
3a : a member of a primitive people
b : an unsophisticated person
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Time Traveler for primitive
The first known use of primitive was in the 15th century
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