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
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The sixth block in the Parthenon’s tympanum—or recessed space—was restored by combining a pair of archaic fragments with new pieces of marble, while the seventh block has been completed using only fresh marble.
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His department of justice brought back the firing squad on federal row in April of 2026; several states now also use what was once considered an archaic method.
Adjective
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The calendar includes America's Block Party events, festivals, historical programs, exhibits and community gatherings scheduled across the country.
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This was a historical diagnosis for deaths attributed to old age in the early 1900s.
Adjective
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Inside, its 69 rooms and suites blend chalet coziness with old-world elegance, many offering postcard-worthy views of the Matterhorn.
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Driven by a growing panic over fast-evolving Chinese tech competitors, the old-world rivals are abandoning the tradition of corporate secrecy.
Adjective
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Such discussions often uncover resident sentiments about equipment deemed outmoded, unrealized expectations and inconvenient access.
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Their outmoded style, with its seriousness and corniness, its big acting choices and low budgets, is basically impossible to recreate without falling into parody.
Adjective
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This governance would be designed ex ante to manage volatility, concentrations of power, and systemic risk rather than retrofitted from a bygone era.
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Neither will seek to engage in the trap of nostalgia for a bygone era.
Adjective
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The museum uses Akrotiri as a point of reference for the life and culture of prehistoric Thira.
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The fraught subject of the proper disposition of those human remains has taken on a new sensitivity — both for the prehistoric people’s Native American successors in Florida, and for the archaeologists and developers encountering them.
Adjective
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Tying an Italian surname to the Outfit has become a tattered badge of honor in the antiquated newsroom of certain outlets with truth thrown to the curb.
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This offers the do-it-yourself warrior a simple, direct route from antiquated lead-acid to state-of-the-art lithium without having to search for esoteric parts online.
Adjective
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The historic 1920s tower that once housed the beloved Ace Hotel is entering a new era just in time for the summer.
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As a potentially historic heat wave hits Philadelphia, many fans made cooling off their first priority during Wednesday's Phillies game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park.
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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