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

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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 Areas of Titan, in the wake of impacts, would be much like a primordial Earth when life started here billions of years ago. Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 9 Sep. 2025 There’s also the idea that there could have been a population of primordial black holes, or black holes that formed shortly after the Big Bang itself. Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 2 Sep. 2025 The creature looked like some kind of primordial man who had crawled out of the earth. Lizz Schumer, People.com, 29 Aug. 2025 In the new movie starring Denzel Washington, the camera rollicks, the edit clips at warp speed, and the sound mix explodes in Lee's coruscating New York — but the primordial ethical conflict at its heart simmers the same. Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for primordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primordial
Adjective
  • The norm is for ancient dugouts found in southern Florida to be linked to ancestors of the Calusa, the Seminole or the Miccosukee, according to the Florida Division of Historical Resources.
    Mark Price, Miami Herald, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Scientists can analyze these ancient samples to infer ocean temperature, sea ice cover or levels of atmospheric gases at different moments across thousands of years.
    Yasemin Saplakoglu, Quanta Magazine, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Due to an accidental feature of this primitive technology, the color of television made in the middle nineteen sixties is essentially public, rather than private.
    Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Campsites are a step above primitive, with nearby water, pit toilets, picnic tables and food lock-up boxes provided.
    Don Sproul, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This is where Birmingham’s industrial heritage meets the primal spectacle of live fire cooking.
    Rai Mincey, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Ali—or Richard Durham channeling Ali—would write just months after the fight that some part of him had always rebelled against the primal allure of his sport.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The wilder West, meanwhile, is marked by vast, primeval cliffs that drop into an unforgiving ocean.
    Zoë Dare Hall, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Suddenly, 43 seconds later, the sky cracked open and light came screaming out in a primeval flash of energy.
    David Perlmutt, Charlotte Observer, 6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • On either side of the cool, free-flowing river, hollows flanking the water conceal outtakes from another time—from prehistoric sites dating back thousands of years to untamed wilderness and waterfalls left wholly untouched.
    Katie Strasberg Rousso, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Much of this prehistoric area is buried underwater today, but not all of it.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The group market capitalization was $156 billion early Friday, as against $235 billion on the eve of Hindenburg’s report in January 2023.
    Dave Smith, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2025
  • King and Conqueror’s characters also suffer from an acute case of early 21st-century-itis.
    Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025

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“Primordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primordial. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.

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