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

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 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

And Lukas’ father is at pains to cope with the situation without resorting to archaic methods of patriarchal control.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
The rest were made with metalpoint, an archaic drafting technique closely associated with Renaissance drawing in Italy and Northern Europe.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

The billionaire chairman and CEO of WorldQuant has been a pioneer in applying AI and other technologies to vast collections of data, looking to build predictive models from historical information.

— Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 11 Sep. 2026
At that perilous moment, the players put football in perspective and sensed the historical implications of failing to acknowledge the event’s gravity.

— Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of historical

Adjective

Personally, this idea that the woke nonsense is just an outmoded relic of the past is ridiculous.

— Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 13 Aug. 2026
If outmoded office buildings end up becoming once again viable as office buildings, Berman’s thesis could end up becoming a casualty of its own transformational success.

— Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026

Definition of outmoded

Adjective

The National Museum alone lost almost two-thirds of its inventory, comprising nearly 100,000 artifacts that covered Sudan’s prehistoric age through its Nubian era, the Kingdom of Kush, the Christian era and its Islamic period.

— Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Seeing those ancient sculptures would have a lasting impact on Cabrera, whose work contained forms that recall pagan ritual and prehistoric objects.

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of prehistoric

Adjective

Costco online cake ordering updates antiquated system The online cake ordering feature was first revealed to be on the way by Costco CEO Ron Vachris in the company's quarterly earnings call in December 2025.

— Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Additionally, interviews and encounters with the slain officers’ family members also illustrate the cost and harm of a job that was formed in the early 19th century and remains antiquated and unchanged in our 21st-century world.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of antiquated

Adjective

The record may come as no surprise after a summer marked by extreme weather, from wildfires to floods, and on the cusp of what scientists believe will be a historic El Niño.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2026
As redevelopment of the historic Brookhill Village complex in South End moves forward, developers are looking for funds to extend and beautify roadways in the enclave.

— Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026