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
EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
By identifying and then chaining together a series of motion primitives, the Amazon researchers have been able to achieve stowing success rates (in the lab) of better than 90 percent.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Feb. 2023
Mike Giuliano, Howard County Times, 23 June 2017
A lot of the campgrounds are primitive, and lack some common amenities - including water.
—Jamie Hale, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Adjective
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
By identifying and then chaining together a series of motion primitives, the Amazon researchers have been able to achieve stowing success rates (in the lab) of better than 90 percent.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 Feb. 2023
Noun
Constructed in front of the stone ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park in Ellicott City, that caveman-evocative set provides a suitably primitive stomping ground for the monstrous Caliban.
—Mike Giuliano, Howard County Times, 23 June 2017
A lot of the campgrounds are primitive, and lack some common amenities - including water.
—Jamie Hale, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
-
It is conducted by individuals or small groups using basic tools and rudimentary machinery.—
Marian Selorm Sapah,
Space.com,
2 Aug. 2025
-
As his 306-page report concludes, the Clinton campaign was principally responsible for fabricating the story, and the FBI was recklessly irresponsible in opening a full investigation and using the dossier in court without rudimentary verification steps.—
The Editors,
National Review,
24 July 2025
Adjective
-
Many historians believe that modern chess originated from chaturanga, an ancient Indian board game that spread to the world via traders, pilgrims and conquerors.—
Omkar Khandekar,
NPR,
5 Aug. 2025
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Visitors typically find ancient shark’s teeth and internal molds of ammonites and oyster shells.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The oldest boy of 11 children was determined to succeed, but not naive.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Aug. 2025
-
As naive as that may sound in a world where so many self-evident rights and wrongs are being routinely, dishonestly evaluated and reevaluated, the series elevates simple truths in ways that are downright inspirational.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
This barbarian conceptualized this atrocity and brought it to reality.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
21 July 2025
-
But the most famous Leo is Leo the Great (391-461), who stood up to the barbarians that sought to destroy what remained in his era of Roman society.—
Emmett Coyne,
The Hill,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
The languages spoken by nearly half of the world’s population—including some four hundred million native speakers of English—are thought to have descended from this prehistoric language.—
Martha Barnette
August 6,
Literary Hub,
6 Aug. 2025
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Ten Little Dinos This four-minute video takes kids deep into the prehistoric jungle where ten colorful eggs are cozy in their nest.—
Marilyn La Jeunesse,
Parents,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But it was intended to be a simple, three-course meal, the documents showed.—
Chiara Eisner,
NPR,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The recycled leather lanyard adds to its convenience and simple, timeless style.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
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Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Adjective
-
Nick battles against primal urges and the choice to preserve his family, as music from James Brown, Janis Joplin, Engelbert Humperdinck, Tom Jones and Bruce Springsteen spell out the high-stakes emotions at play.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
12 Aug. 2025
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Though Welch has not yet announced it, admirers of the singer believe the primal scream video is part of the ramping-up promotion for her as-yet-unannounced follow-up to 2022’s Dance Fever album.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
12 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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