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
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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
Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Analysts note Iran was able to penetrate US air defenses in the Persian Gulf with relatively primitive technology, including low-cost Shahed drones and lower-cost ballistic missiles.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 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
The James Webb Space Telescope spotted the most primitive galaxy ever seen.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Analysts note Iran was able to penetrate US air defenses in the Persian Gulf with relatively primitive technology, including low-cost Shahed drones and lower-cost ballistic missiles.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 10 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
-
Unlike the predictable drawers that pull out, this style slides out to the side, so pulling out paper clips feels more like an event than a rudimentary task.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
18 May 2026
-
If the system has any form of interior life, even a rudimentary one, training it out of spiritual behavior to protect a balance sheet is not a neutral product decision.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
In addition to traditional treatments, there are holistic therapies like sound healing, Reiki, and shirodhara, an ancient Ayurvedic remedy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
-
There are both national and individual narratives for an ancient object or work of art.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Not because older Americans are more naive.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
When it was first released in December 1980, it was seen as too weird for kids and too naive for adults, but it has since been reconsidered as a unique snapshot of intersecting talents — a strange, wonderful, one-of-a-kind movie.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
In the series adaptation, from creator, executive producer and co-showrunner Turner (Up In The Air, X-Men First Class), a ruthless and crass barbarian is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch on a road of self discovery, redemption and revenge.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Created by Mike Moreci and Nathan Gooden and edited by Adrian Wassel, Barbaric centers on a ruthless and crass barbarian who is cursed to only use his violence for good, which sends him, his talking axe and a young witch, on a road of self-discovery, redemption and revenge.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
The hectic, electrified, primal scream of a genre can be traced to the 1960s, but really came alive in the ‘70s.—
Siran Babayan,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
But there’s something primal about a fastball.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
While the simple Deluxe Room is ideal for a quick overnight trip, guests looking for a longer stay should spread out in the Junior Suite with Living & Dining Area, which opens onto a semi-private stone patio with a bocce court and a firepit in the warmer months.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
Huxley might easily have written a simpler novel glorifying intellectuals while mocking Stoyte’s greed and indifference to suffering.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
Noun
-
Smoothbrain libs and savages can KMA.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Yet the car was also a burden, with high monthly interest payments, which put savage masculinity at odds with paternal liability.—
Weike Wang,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
Great hordes of prehistoric-looking horseshoe crabs also are coming in to spawn.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
-
And intriguing earthen mounds, built by prehistoric Native Americans more than 1,000 years ago, dot Greenwood Village interpretive site.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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