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
To dismiss animism as ignorant, superstitious, or atavistic is to partake in modern parochialism, and this serves the interests of those who, like the tree’s killers, delight in destroying life.
—
Colin Cepuran, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
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
Colin Cepuran, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavistic
Adjective
-
As prominent Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe and conservative jurist Michael Luttig argued, the archaic law was dangerously flawed and fundamentally ripe for partisan exploitation.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Time,
9 June 2026
-
The very details that make the genre come alive—the archaic syntax, the outfits, the feelings—are the ones that haven’t survived into the present day or that the writer made up.—
Katy Waldman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Adjective
-
As opposed to tragedy’s narrative arc of historical fate, tragicomedy unfolds in an infinite present.—
Eugenie Brinkema,
ARTnews.com,
14 June 2026
-
Liberal clergy abandoned certain tenets of Christian orthodoxy—the Virgin Birth, Christ’s miracles—for a more literary and historical approach to the Bible.—
Michael Luo,
New Yorker,
14 June 2026
Adjective
-
What’s certain is their European background gave the home an air of old-world grandeur.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2026
-
There’s a mahogany bar overlooking the open bush, outdoor canvas baths and a sense of old-world glamour that feels like it might have been lifted straight from a Hollywood movie.—
Sarah Kingdom,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Today, some of the most beloved musicals of the American theater can sometimes seem outmoded and vaguely inappropriate, since society’s standards have changed radically in the last 60 years.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
But then, the fear that AI could render swaths of the software trade outmoded moved a wave of the savings-for-retirement crowd to demand their money back.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Best known for Colonial Williamsburg, this charming city invites travelers to slow down and step into a bygone era.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
-
Director Michiel Van Erp draws memorable performances from his cast while screenwriter Frank Houtappels’ wistful story reminds us of a bygone era and how reconciling with your past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
In prehistoric times, that blue sensitivity would have meant that melatonin production fired up a couple of hours after sunset and shut down just before sunrise.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
The team found that the prehistoric plague developed in stages and infected several small families.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Wood beam ceilings and rustic red tile floors adorn almost every room, while the furnishings rely on simple silhouettes and an earthy color palette to blend with the pastoral surroundings without feeling antiquated.—
Lauren Arzbaecher,
Architectural Digest,
12 June 2026
-
While that edict seems antiquated with the realities of the House settlement, the settlement doesn’t nullify or supersede appellate precedent.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Metal barricades surrounded Madison Square Garden and police checkpoints were up around Penn Station as city officials scrambled to prevent a repeat of Wednesday night’s chaos, when dozens of fans were taken into custody after the Knicks’ historic comeback.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
Smith helped catalyze the 49ers’ historic turnaround during his rookie season in 2011 thanks to his ability to disrupt quarterbacks.—
Michael McGough,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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