1
as in rudimentary
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
primitive wooden tools were used before the Iron Age
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
a primitive period in church history when members still lived in communes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
her taste in art was still primitive, but she knew schlock when she saw it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barbarian
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primitive
Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, humans have regressed into being primitives that the apes hunt for sport, or feed out of pity from beside their campfire.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
The closest anyone has come to success for eggs has been very primitive human egg cells that are too immature to be fertilized.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Adjective
It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
Meanwhile, humans have regressed into being primitives that the apes hunt for sport, or feed out of pity from beside their campfire.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
Noun
The Chinese navy already makes port calls in Myanmar, but these are brief stays in facilities too primitive to provide naval advantage.
—Dan Swift, Foreign Affairs, 30 Sep. 2025
The closest anyone has come to success for eggs has been very primitive human egg cells that are too immature to be fertilized.
—Rob Stein, NPR, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
-
The rudimentary device, likely made from firework explosives, was planted outside the front gate of Ranucci’s house in Campo Ascolano, about 30 kilometers (19 miles) south of Rome, the journalist told state broadcaster RAI on Friday.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The department, run by State Superintendent Jill Underly, relies on a rudimentary system to track its investigations, obscuring the scale of misconduct for policymakers and the public.—
Danielle DuClos,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
During that time, particles cast off from that ancient body collide with our planet at speeds of up to 41 miles per second (66 kilometers per second), burning up in a magnificent display as they're overwhelmed by the friction of atmospheric entry.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Pausing to appreciate ancient petroglyphs or a primrose that blooms for just one day.—
Joan Meiners,
AZCentral.com,
20 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Trump isn’t naive and knows that Netanyahu has incentives to preserve electoral support by remaining a wartime leader.—
Faisal J. Abbas,
semafor.com,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Gabber’s got this naive brutality to it.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The Gauls had been described as barbarians by Julius Caesar and Livy, but now had become these Ur people, far more ancient and civilized than their ancient Roman detractors.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Bautista will have the plum role of the immortal barbarian known as The Kurgen, who has been killing other immortals across the centuries in order to absorb their essence.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Not pretty at all, but a real link to a past, and a great example of prehistoric tech.—
Samantha Conti,
Footwear News,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The rare species of prehistoric predator was found in southern England.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Monochromatic Raven loves to stick to a simple, serene palette by combining a variety of white tulips with different bloom times.—
Miranda Crowell,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Oct. 2025
-
This Madewell version channels that effortless, neutral polish Kitts described—simple, structured, and endlessly versatile.—
Rosie Marder,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
And that friction — between soft and savage — is what keeps us going.—
Alma Rota,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Tenacious and savage Scrappy Rex is extremely formidable and robust with energy.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The genre pic stars Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander and Troy Kotsur and centers on a group of friends on a tropical vacation that turns into a terrifying and primal tale of horror and survival.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Oct. 2025
-
In the pic, a group of friends’ tropical vacation turns into a terrifying, primal tale of horror and survival.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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