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
-
Granted, these creatives still need to contend with archaic royalty structures and the complications of streaming payouts, but not everyone is cut out to be an Alicia Keys or an Ed Sheeran (two artists whose songs were performed at the Disney Aulani resort, where the episode was taped).—
Shirley Halperin,
Rolling Stone,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Look to bedside lamps with a historic twist, like the banker’s lamps found in archaic libraries.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The president is fighting against historical headwinds for the party in power and, like President Joe Biden before him, is navigating voter anxiety about the cost of living in America.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The four-story, brick-faced building was constructed in 1926 as the Hamline Hotel and later renamed the Kimball Hotel, which holds at least a small place in the historical run-up to the civil rights era.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Positano For travelers drawn to an intimate, old-world stay, Mareluna offers a charming cottage experience with primetime sea views.—
Angela Tafoya,
Vogue,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Such a failure would turn a strategic bypass into a secondary environmental and economic disaster, proving that the old-world order of oil was just shattered by the closing of Iran’s key global chokepoint.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
6 Mar. 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
-
Whispers of endless buffets at industry parties, seem a distant echo of a bygone era.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Members of Congress, who mostly occupy safe seats and came of age during a bygone political era, may feel that any shift toward Republicans will be short-lived.—
Marc Novicoff,
The Atlantic,
26 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Dating back more than 66 million years to the late Cretaceous period, Trey offers a window into prehistoric life.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Modern threats and conservation Despite its prehistoric resilience, the Old Irish goat now faces a serious modern threat.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
An antiquated 105-year-old American law threatens to exacerbate the energy shocks triggered by the Iran war.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The nightly viewership of the somewhat antiquated TV format can no longer justify the expense — at least, that’s the roundabout reason CBS gave for canceling The Late Show.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Wizards carried a 10-game losing streak into Saturday and were four days removed from the historic ignominy of allowing 83 points to Miami’s Bam Adebayo.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
-
The food and drink The restaurant, Café Montesol, pays homage to the hotel’s historic past life.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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