as in archaic
formal
very primitive
—used to describe feelings or qualities that human beings have had from the earliest times
atavistic instincts reverting to atavistic behavior
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Recent Examples of atavistic
Safdie perceptively locates the protagonist’s troubling inner contradictions—the atavistic fury that drives him to compete and the intense self-control that competition demands—but dramatizes such outer crises as opioid addiction and conflict with his girlfriend (Emily Blunt) only schematically.
—
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Rather than conjuring a mood of bracing inexorability, this linear focus only suffocates what might be an interesting debate, as a man of the modern world weighs his values against those of a woman raised in atavistic isolation.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Rather than conjuring a mood of bracing inexorability, this linear focus only suffocates what might be an interesting debate, as a man of the modern world weighs his values against those of a woman raised in atavistic isolation.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavistic
Adjective
-
Rejecting the streamlining and modernizing approach of many recent translations, Mendelsohn artfully reproduces the epic’s formal qualities—meter, enjambment, alliteration, assonance—and in so doing restores to Homer’s masterwork its archaic grandeur.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Nearly 20 years later, the law may seem archaic, the Enquirer previously reported, and may be a violation of the First Amendment.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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And so our friendship was born, and grew from there over weeks and then months of talking about authorial voice, the politics of publishing, the crushing despair of our historical moment, and how long should a chapter be, anyway?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Kim explores social and historical themes including modernization, militarism, and migration through a practice encompassing sound, video, and installation art.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
4 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Mineral 1886 Mineral 1886, located inside the historic Delaware Hotel, is a breakfast and brunch spot that blends old-world charm with modern culinary flair.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
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With an ongoing revamp courtesy of fashion’s favorite architect and designer Peter Marino, the interiors are also being given a new lease of life without losing any of the old-world glamour that has seen celebrity guests flock here for decades.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
13 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Until Uber and Lyft arrived, ride-seekers were reliant on outmoded taxicab operations.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
-
This has been attributed in part to surging loads from artificial intelligence data centers, as well as outmoded energy infrastructure.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This bond was forged in a bygone era.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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Schulz's Restaurant Open since 1953, this old-school haunt feels like it's been lifted straight from a bygone era.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Large muskies, prehistoric-looking fish with canine-style teeth, lurk there.—
Jamie Thompson,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
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In Scotland, archaeologists found evidence of a prehistoric village at a future golf course earlier this year.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the company is back on a strong growth trajectory, fueled by the AI boom that could possibly disrupt the antiquated insurance industry that has incumbents with large market share, but are slow to evolve.—
Todd Gordon,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
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On the other hand, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a backup cam kept the cheap sports car from feeling too antiquated to bear.—
Charles Singh,
USA Today,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Public approval of Congress is near historic lows, and polling shows that many voters believe professional politicians are self-interested and out of touch.—
Jeff Harden,
The Conversation,
3 Nov. 2025
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The designer and her team excel at highlighting and restoring the original detail of historic residences and adding a sense of patina to new homes.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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