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
  • This ancient city, sited halfway between London and Edinburgh, has a wealth of significant historic attractions dating back to its Ancient Roman origins.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Aug. 2026
  • During its two-and-a-half-hour descent through Titan’s thick orange atmosphere, Huygens captured the first-ever views of the surface, revealing river channels, ancient shorelines and a landscape shaped by liquid methane rather than water.
    — Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • Some researchers have argued that LUCA was a complex cell with a primitive immune system to protect against viruses.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Porous feet deliver The researchers designed and 3D-printed three hemispherical TPMS variants—primitive, gyroid and diamond—and evaluated their mechanical properties through compression testing.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Either way, the spread of kudzu, Burmese pythons, Joro spiders, mosquitoes, killer bees, and Asiatic false hawk’s-beards, to name just a few, has tugged on some primal taproot in us.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In many corners of the internet, tallow isn’t marketed simply as a moisturizer but as a return to something more primal and distinctly masculine.
    — Jenna Belhumeur, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of primal
Adjective
  • The Museum includes creative work from prehistoric cave paintings to today’s on-screen art.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026
  • That means a stretch of riverbank can look completely ordinary one season and reveal evidence of prehistoric life after a major weather event or prolonged change in water levels.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • The shapes that Heizer carved out of the earth seem both primordial and futuristic at the same time, evoking his fascination with Mesoamerican architecture.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Life on Earth is thought to have emerged from the primordial ooze some four billion years ago.
    — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of primordial
Adjective
  • The restaurant is named for American artist John Singer Sargent, a painter who specialized in portraits and landscapes during the late 1800s and early 1900s.
    — Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, one of Disney’s earliest characters who predated Mickey Mouse, is back for the 21st century.
    — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of early

Browse Nearby Words

primes
primeval
priming
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“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of primeval for Spanish Speakers

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