ATAVISTIC Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

atavistic

adjective

Definition of atavistic

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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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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavistic

Adjective

Many of them had the notion that Homer should sound archaic, perhaps because a lot of translations created their own ornate anachronistic English that had nothing to do with the language of the epics.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 July 2026
Tamil itself is no less a political construction, with public discourse and education carried out in a self-consciously archaic form of the language only half-intelligible to many speakers of its multifarious vernaculars.

— Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

And with the advent of AI-everything, cutouts are old-world antidotes, imbuing a cabinet with a sense of nostalgia, emphasis on craft, and cozy flair.

— Kelsey Mulvey, Architectural Digest, 27 July 2026
If you’re inspired by the old-world charm of Kloss’s outfit, try this blouse.

— Tanya Sharma, PEOPLE, 21 July 2026

Definition of old-world

Adjective

While the area was formerly covered by prehistoric lakes, today the water here mainly exists as seasonal wetlands, gurgling geysers, hot springs, and a hypersaline lake that’s saltier than the ocean.

— Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 18 July 2026
The species has remained unchanged since prehistoric times, finding ways to survive while other species became extinct, according to the San Diego Zoo.

— Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 16 July 2026

Definition of prehistoric

Adjective

The hotel is adjacent to Monterey State Park; don’t underestimate the pull of the historic adobe buildings and gardens.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 July 2026
This half-day excursion offers direct round-trip transportation from downtown Louisville to the historic Frankfort distillery, removing the need for a car or rideshare.

— Emily Price, Forbes.com, 30 July 2026