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
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Recent Examples of primitive
Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The primitive crops were critical to early agriculture and, in more recent times, have been a cheaper alternative to animal proteins.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 May 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
These offices were decidedly low tech operations, and their job search techniques were primitive by today’s standards (help wanted ads in newspapers, responding to orders from employers).
—Michael Bernick, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The primitive crops were critical to early agriculture and, in more recent times, have been a cheaper alternative to animal proteins.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 18 May 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
-
But the filmic quality of the album lies less in any conventionally cinematic progression and more in Rossetto’s ability to imbue even the most rudimentary sounds with vivid detail and perspective.—
Levi Dayan,
Pitchfork,
9 June 2026
-
Stalled by the pandemic, the festival’s inaugural edition took place in Jeddah’s Al-Balad old city neighborhood in 2021 with a make-shift cinema, rudimentary industry hub and a smattering of A-list guests and has since grown into one of the biggest film festivals in the Middle East.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Its sheer red sandstone cliffs, carved over millions of years, cradle ancient cliff dwellings and rock art that tell stories of the ancestral Puebloans.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
In his younger years, Jacobs would have hunted in ancient forests, now known only to our imaginations—old-growth stands of hemlock, pine, oak, and chestnut, with trees standing more than a hundred feet tall and nearly four hundred years old.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
At a time of growing polarization, goodwill may seem outdated or naïve.—
Mary Crossan,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The court’s abdication of its modern responsibility for supervising electoral democracy seems to rest on the naive belief that democracy will succeed in regulating itself.—
Noah Feldman,
Mercury News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
There are barbarians with battle axes and swords, robots with laser guns, spaceships, a warlock with a skull for a face.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 June 2026
-
While the original action figure might at first glance look like a classic cartoon barbarian, the character and his world are a wild blend of science fiction, fantasy, action-adventure, and even comedy.—
Chelsea Gohd,
Space.com,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
While our money would be on The Last Son of Krypton in a main card matchup, Lobo fights dirty with a level of primal savagery that just might put the Big Blue Boy Scout and his cousin down for a few rounds.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
6 June 2026
-
Three hours later, when the team recognized the severity of the extravasation injury, professional awareness gave way to primal helplessness.—
Nisha Narayanan,
STAT,
5 June 2026
Adjective
-
My wife goes into the kitchen and returns with beer, fruit, and a few simple dishes.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
-
The measure needs a simple majority to win.—
Rebecca Ellis,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Or a group of shipwrecked boys turning into savages and killing one another?—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
-
The Indians in Westerns had war paint and whooped like savages.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 May 2026
Adjective
-
That sets these findings apart from other instances where skeletal remains of prehistoric societies were found to be physically manipulated in similar ways.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 is the name given to a pair of state-of-the-art Bluetooth bookshelf speakers that make your humble superstore own brand setup seem like a prehistoric ear trumpet.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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