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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 primitive
Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Later on, as some of the brightest extended objects visible with even the most primitive of telescopes, planetary nebulae are numerous and prominent in the catalogues of astronomers, with the first ones spotted way back in the 1700s.
—Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Adjective
Initially, these are very primitive – buy coffee, take a photo of a receipt in a cafe.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Later on, as some of the brightest extended objects visible with even the most primitive of telescopes, planetary nebulae are numerous and prominent in the catalogues of astronomers, with the first ones spotted way back in the 1700s.
—Big Think, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
-
The federal government also funded more than a hundred thousand programs across the country and, relying on rudimentary punch-card computers, kept track of everything going on everywhere and made that information available all over.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
-
The cognitive processes behind adaptation Far from being rudimentary, the study investigated the neural mechanics behind these visual representations, suggesting the presence of abstract thought—a crucial step in the evolution of human thinking.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Around practically all galaxies are collections of mostly ancient stars known as globular clusters.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Mar. 2026
-
All of those on hand noted the striking parallel between Purim, which commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from annihilation in ancient Persia, and the dismantling of government in what is now Iran.—
Laurie Perez,
CBS News,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This season, that naive system would’ve won $2,400.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
-
And that seems to be a quite naïve view.—
David Remnick,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Live television crews captured the chaos, each faction functioning as another barbarian at the gate.—
Jenny Lumet,
Vanity Fair,
10 Feb. 2026
-
And if any of you barbarians out there slather ranch dressing on your wings, there’s a special place in hell just for you.—
Bill Reinhard,
New York Daily News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Cumming then invited everyone in attendance to join him in a collective primal scream at world events.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Perhaps there’s no such thing as perfect when a film’s emotional scope is so ambitious and so primal, all at once.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Steel-ball tree The new invention includes simple parts, such as a hollow cylinder packed with solid steel balls and a central shaft lined with radial, branch-like rods.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Mar. 2026
-
January 20 – February 18 When purpose meets resources, progress becomes simple.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Or Irish, in a time when they were seen as savages by the Englishmen?—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The Urus, a snarling, spitting savage dressed up in an orange tuxedo, will cause a commotion at the supermarket, gym and park.—
Josh Max,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 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
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
