atavism

noun

Definition of atavismnext
as in relapse

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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 atavism Karp’s ideological atavism is all too typical of the current bent of Silicon Valley. — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 15 June 2026 Such atavism couldn’t be further from Alexandre Estrela’s technological vision. — Pablo Larios, Artforum, 10 June 2026 Their success depends on a careful combination of atavism and innovation. — David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026 Millet plays with the title and with the idea of atavism, in which an ancient trait asserts itself by skipping forward a few generations to suddenly appear in the gene pool. — Heather Scott Partington, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025 Early on, these doctors-cum-criminal-profilers explained bad apples through theories such as atavism. — WIRED, 21 Feb. 2023 If learning and gentility are signs of civilization, perhaps our almost-big brains are straining against their residual atavism, struggling to expand. — Richard Granger, Discover Magazine, 31 Oct. 2022 Is my interest in the moon some dormant atavism from a more primitive era of human life? — Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 21 Oct. 2022 Western elites believed that in the twenty-first century, cosmopolitanism and globalism would triumph over atavism and tribal loyalties. — Walter Russell Mead, Foreign Affairs, 20 Jan. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavism
  1. relapse
  2. return
  3. reversion
  4. regression
  5. lapse
  6. retrogression
Noun
  • Now, in a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers have found that a single dose of psilocybin combined with about 10 psychotherapy sessions can reduce cocaine use and lower relapse risk.
    — Humberto Basilio, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Allison Janney won an Emmy for the Mom episode where her character has a drug relapse.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of relapse
Noun
  • The Bills hope Bell returns at some point this week, either in Orchard Park, in Cleveland for Thursday’s joint practice, or Saturday’s preseason game against the Browns.
    — Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Avengers Infinity Defense will see the return of Thanos, the Big Bad of Marvel's Infinity Saga.
    — Sean Keane, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of return
Noun
  • The study hypothesizes that the supergiant reversion may trigger a cool-down period.
    — Jay Kakade July 23, Refractor, 23 July 2026
  • The tradwife trend is controversial in that it is seen by some as a rejection of feminism and a reversion to a seemingly simpler time.
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 17 June 2026
Definition of reversion
Noun
  • Real failures become test cases, so lessons learned turn into regression tests instead of just being written down.
    — Brian Greenberg, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • For the organization, a farm system that blossomed throughout 2025 has seen regression almost across the board this season.
    — Tim Britton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of regression
Noun
  • For the bulk of lawmakers, following two record breaking government shutdowns within the last 12 months, the appetite for another funding lapse appears low.
    — Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The funding lapse prompted thousands of officers to call out of work and about 1,100 to quit.
    — Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of lapse
Noun
  • This book is all about the fight to stem the tide of retrogression.
    — Ken Makin, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Nov. 2025
  • Visa retrogression might become more of an issue for Indian and Chinese applicants who invest under the high-unemployment category due to its more limited availability.
    — Sam Silverman, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Definition of retrogression

Browse Nearby Words

at any rate
atavism
atavisms
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Atavism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavism. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of oxymoron

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

Is “GIF” Pronounced “Jiff” or “Giff”?

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All