primeval

adjective

prī-ˈmē-vəl How to pronounce primeval (audio)
Definition of primevalnext
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 primeval The fragrance that wafts from the dish when the lid is lifted heightens the anticipation, the nose being the first point of entry and the most primeval of our senses. — Literary Hub, 4 Feb. 2026 The landscape of Rapa Nui probably never incorporated the sort of primeval forest of palm trees imagined in popular accounts, Pitts writes, but was more mixed, and scrubbier, with no one species of charismatic megaflora dominating. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026 Astrophysicists now believe that this nebulous stuff is a stellar incubator; the primeval chaos from which star formation is presently underway. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026 Instead, the franchise has been retooled for this brutal and bleak moment, further weaponizing desperation at a time when competition already feels omnipresent and almost primeval. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primeval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primeval
  1. ancient
  2. primitive
  3. primal
  4. prehistoric
  5. primordial
  6. early
Adjective
  • Even the climbing-vine wallpaper is yellowed, as if gradually discolored by the cigarettes of a thousand ancient Sundays.
    — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Madrid sits on an ancient migration route that has always been part of a vast grid of farming paths covering the Iberian Peninsula.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • In 2019, Samsung released the original Galaxy Fold with a much more primitive hinge design.
    — Ryan Whitwam, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026
  • American consumers deserved bargains on digital watches, pocket calculators, and primitive computers.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Writing the book also led me to recognize that the loneliness epidemic has some primal roots.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But the nanos are taking over him, and these primal impulses are bubbling up within him.
    — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of primal
Adjective
  • Other witnesses reported smaller, hairy creatures, a prehistoric-looking bird and a worm allegedly measuring 8 feet long.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • But moving beyond prehistoric time to the last century, comparison still had constraints.
    — Ashwini Nadkarni, Time, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • For the dodo, the researchers will first harvest primordial germ cells (PGCs)—nascent cells that give rise to eggs and sperm—from the nicobar pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
  • This would have been a primordial black hole (PBH), a hypothesized object formed in the universe’s earliest moments.
    — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of primordial
Adjective
  • The two groups sued the Homeland Security Department in early October to prevent it from using federal immigration data to challenge state voter rolls.
    — Safiyah Riddle, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
  • The increases have been particularly pronounced in states with competitive Senate races, including Iowa and Kansas, where early voting is up roughly 30%.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026
Definition of early

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primes
primeval
priming
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Cite this Entry

“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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