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
-
Those archaic teams did not have lofty expectations like the ones that featured Simmons.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Doubled down with odd and archaic roster construction.—
Jannelle Moore,
Mercury News,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That historical egotism fuelled their headiest ambitions.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Over the next 50 years, King authored more than 1,020 decisions and sentenced more than 6,000 defendants, according to historical archives.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
3 May 2026
Adjective
-
These old-world, elegant beauties will thrive in many types of soil, but should be watered during long dry spells and prefer some protection from the afternoon sun.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
-
Orient Express, founded in 1883 and part of the Accor Group since 2022, has imbued the behemoth with the old-world glitz and glamour synonymous with its famous trains.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Jones’s novels derive much of their richness from her striking capacity to use literary and cultural tropes that may seem outmoded to new ends.—
Lily Meyer,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With the effects of that 2016 election continuing to reverberate around the world in such a profound way, the conversation is a time capsule of a bygone era in America that now seems so innocent and naive.—
Ben Crandell,
Sun Sentinel,
4 May 2026
-
Quantum technologies have made those challenges and others symbols of a bygone era.—
David Awschalom,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Because the angle of Earth‘s magnetic field varies from the poles to the equator, these minerals act as a prehistoric GPS, allowing geoscientists to pinpoint a rock’s original location on the globe and chart its journey over millions of years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Rewriting the Story of Ancient Cretaceous Oceans For decades, the narrative of prehistoric oceans has centered on massive vertebrates as the dominant predators.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Like des Esseintes’s inclination toward the antiquated, Carly’s taste for vintage kitsch runs retro-romantic.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
-
For years, the armies on the Western Front were immobilized by the combination of modern technology and antiquated tactics.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Key West Tropical Forest & Botanical Garden, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year, contains historic butterfly gardens and flora native to the Florida Keys, Cuba and the Caribbean.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
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Set the scene In the heart of Center City, W Philadelphia adds a dash of style to the city’s historic landscape.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 6 May. 2026.
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