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
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
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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As executives keep pushing to find the magic ROI of AI, a new Workday study suggests that employees aren’t being set up to succeed—thanks to archaic job structures.—
Kristin Stoller,
Fortune,
12 Jan. 2026
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This may be an issue the generations view quite differently — that mailed thank-yous, birthday and anniversary greetings may be seen as charming but archaic.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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One film has dominated much of the season and shattered records, while the other carries an undercurrent of passion and historical weight that could resonate on a preferential Oscar ballot.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
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Others have expressed concern about nationalist rhetoric and disputes over historical memory, particularly regarding Hungary’s role in the Holocaust.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And though their fancy houses fall into the traditional category, the couple has equipped one with a Google Nest Cam, combining old-world craftsmanship with trendy technology.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Hemlock & Oak’s daily planner feels heirloom-like and beautifully old-world.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
5 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Oil is a 20th century energy source, outmoded and responsible for sickening and killing millions of people with the potential to kill millions more.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Namely, what many scholars took to be the fundamentals of the discipline were not empirical constants at all, but the fleeting patterns of an outmoded ideological regime.—
Jason Blakely,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Still, the retention numbers reflect a bygone era when NCAA rules disincentivized player movement.—
David Eckert,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Jan. 2026
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Theirs is a politics of twisted nostalgia about restoring the dynamics of a bygone era.—
Sacramento Bee staff,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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To confirm their findings, the team compared the prehistoric residue to 250-year-old arrows stored in Swedish museums.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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And if the sneakers themselves didn’t go heavy enough with the prehistoric theme, the shoebox is also fully decked out with a dinosaur motif which, when opened, is intended to look like a Tyrannosaurus opening its mouth.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The pair led City to the Third Division title in May 1985, but triumph turned to tragedy on the final day of the season as the antiquated main stand caught fire with devastating consequences.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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Insufferable antiquated federal standards reflect low expectations that do not meet the modern day needs of working New Yorkers.—
Gian Carlo Pedulla,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Now, the Beth Israel synagogue is indefinitely closed, its historic interiors blackened with ash, after authorities say a man set a fire in the building’s library in the early hours of Saturday morning.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
13 Jan. 2026
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Hialeah marked a historic moment Monday as 28-year-old Bryan Calvo was sworn in as mayor, becoming the youngest person ever to lead the city in its 100-year history.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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