primordial

adjective

pri·mor·di·al | \ prī-ˈmȯr-dē-əl

Definition of primordial

1a : first created or developed : primeval sense 1

b : existing in or persisting from the beginning (as of a solar system or universe) a primordial gas cloud

c : earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ : primitive primordial cells

2 : fundamental, primary primordial human joys— Sir Winston Churchill

Other Words from primordial Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about primordial

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Synonyms & Antonyms for primordial

Synonyms

ancient, early, primal, primeval, primitive

Antonyms

late

Did You Know?

The history of "primordial" began when the Latin words primus (meaning "first") and "ordiri" (meaning "to begin") came together to form "primordium," the Latin word for "origin." When it entered English in the 14th century, "primordial" was used in the general sense "primeval." Early on, there were hints that "primordial" would lend itself well to discussions of the earth's origins. Take, for instance, this passage from a 1398 translation of an encyclopedia called On the Properties of Things: "The virtu of God made primordial mater, in the whiche as it were in massy thinge the foure elementis were . . . nought distinguishd." Nowadays, primordial matter is often referred to in evolutionary theory as "primordial soup," a mixture of organic molecules from which life on earth originated.

Examples of primordial in a Sentence

all life on Earth supposedly came from a primordial ooze in existence many millions of years ago

Recent Examples on the Web

Dragonfly went head-to-head with one other finalist, the Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return, which would have sampled primordial ice from a comet and returned it for study on Earth. — Paul Voosen, Science | AAAS, "NASA will fly a billion-dollar quadcopter to Titan, Saturn’s methane-rich moon," 27 June 2019 There, those primordial outcasts formed what is known as the Oort cloud, a vast region of comets that envelops the solar system and extends out to a light-year or more. — Jonathan O'callaghan, Scientific American, "European Comet Interceptor Could Visit an Interstellar Object," 24 June 2019 There are also primordial black holes, which are essentially small black holes left over from the Big Bang. — Joe Lindsey, Popular Mechanics, "Filling the Void: What Is Dark Matter?," 28 May 2019 Perhaps the most sumptuous means to explore Komodo’s primordial beauty is aboard the new Prana by Atzaro, a nine-suite, swashbuckler-style megayacht designed in homage of ancient Indonesian boat-making with five-star boutique comfort in mind. — Travis Levius, Vogue, "Chasing Komodo Dragons on Indonesia’s Latest Super Yacht," 26 Apr. 2019 Telescopes such as the LOFAR aim to detect the ancient signal and use it to map the distribution of primordial matter. — Daniel Clery, Science | AAAS, "China’s moon mission will probe cosmic dark ages," 16 May 2018 As loggers have cut and cleared the forests the caribou need to survive, the last mountain caribou in Washington are being pushed out of their primordial habitat. — Lynda V. Mapes, The Seattle Times, "David Moskowitz captures the beauty — and fragility — of the Northwest’s mountain caribou," 11 Feb. 2019 In nature, they're formed from primordial germ cells and can be seen as precursors to egg cells. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Scientists Take Major Step Towards Making Babies From Skin Cells," 21 Sep. 2018 The researchers expect that, within five years, primordial gravitational waves will be detected. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Inflation theories must dig deeper to avoid collision with data," 6 Dec. 2018

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