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

And the rest is public perception, which has shifted against what many Americans see as a dirty, archaic form of power generation.

— Trevor Hughes, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Now, if the league would drop its archaic blackout rules, this would be a lot easier for everyone.

— Scott Powers, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of archaic

Adjective

More information is available about the Maroon Creek Bridge, Aspen's railroad history and other local historical stories at the Aspen Historical Society website.

— Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 14 Aug. 2026
To Ramos, the bill represents a step toward reversing the long list of historical wrongs against Native Americans, including those perpetrated by the state government.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of historical

Adjective

Wander through the streets of Tbilisi, where old-world charm meets modern style.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026
That substance shows up in the little things that elevate a big house into a memorable one — intricate millwork, triple crown molding and custom touches that give the home a cohesive, old-world richness rather than a patchwork of trends.

— David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of old-world

Adjective

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
But this approach is outmoded given the speed at which companies are adopting AI tools for business tasks.

— Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 13 July 2026

Definition of outmoded

Adjective

A lot of love and care is put into creating the marketing and merchandising of this fictional Friday the 13th-style franchise, and thus recreating the familiar pop debris of a bygone trash era.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026
Visitors can get a taste of what farm life was like in bygone days at event, organized by the all-volunteer Dickson-Murst Farm Partners, according to a Conservation Foundation press release.

— Aurora Beacon-News, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of bygone

Adjective

Scientists have recovered ancient human DNA directly from cave walls in Spain and Portugal, opening a new way to study the people behind prehistoric rock art.

— George Nelson, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali and Jonathan Bailey led the prehistoric revival, which revolved around a top-secret quest to retrieve the DNA of dinosaurs to create a miracle drug.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of prehistoric

Adjective

Comptroller Brooke Lierman acknowledged that Maryland needed to improve its return rate and modernize its antiquated systems.

— Mark Lewyn, Baltimore Sun, 5 Aug. 2026
Dust ruffles may have gone the way of the dodo after their heyday in the maximalist ’80s, but the absolute best bed skirts (done up in cottagecore ginghams and frothy sateens) are putting the antiquated bed dressing back on the map.

— Shoko Wanger, Architectural Digest, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of antiquated

Adjective

The comments by Akishino, the next in line for the throne, come just weeks after a historic revision to the Imperial House Law by the conservative government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi that insists only paternal-lineage men can become emperor.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
The mayor said people visiting historic Bushnell Park don’t want to look down and see a message about slip and falls.

— Pamela McLoughlin, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026