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
Synonyms & Similar 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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Adjective
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
Noun
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
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
-
Although contemporary smart assistants such as Alexa or Google Assistant can manage rudimentary household commands—like turning on lights or checking the weather—agentic AI signifies a profound shift.—
Sandeep Shivam,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
These pioneers used rudimentary plows, but when steel plows became available farmers were able to plant and harvest much more food per acre to feed a growing population.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
For example, the presence of clay minerals indicates past interactions between volcanic materials and water, hinting at the possibility of ancient habitable environments, according to the statement.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
6 June 2025
-
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico This UNESCO World Heritage Site features ancient Puebloan structures aligned with solar events like Casa Rinconada.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Even a naive analysis, one that buys into some very obvious Republican budget tricks, finds that this bill cuts taxes and raises spending by $4 trillion over 10 years — but only pays for about $1.7 trillion of that.—
Ezra Klein,
Mercury News,
28 May 2025
-
In the film's early scenes, Cruise displays a naive, unwavering patriotism that seamlessly meshed with the actor's military heroics in Top Gun three years earlier — which makes Kovic's stark transition to impassioned anti-war advocacy all the more surprising in the runtime's second half.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
24 May 2025
Noun
-
The colonized lands are conceptualized of as virgin or empty, or populated by savages and barbarians who amount to less-than-human types who must make way for the settlers.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
21 May 2025
-
The barbarians are all those who hate human nature, all those who trample upon the sense of the sacred, all those who do not value life, all those who rebel against God the Creator of man and nature.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Since gold is nearly indestructible and has been recycled many times, much of the gold used today dates from prehistoric ages.—
David Szondy
June 07,
New Atlas,
7 June 2025
-
More fossils will be needed to know if the prehistoric waterwheels grew snap traps to enclose small aquatic invertebrates, like its modern counterparts, but the lineage was already present during a time when the world was warmer and wetter, and mammals were just beginning to get big.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Ahead of the most important game of the year, Luke Esquivel said the key to a strong performance will be simple.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 June 2025
-
Better yet, this was all relatively simple to accomplish and extremely user intuitive.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 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
-
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
-
Deep listening is about genuine curiosity cueing in our primal need to be seen and heard, and create unexpected connections, ultimately combating loneliness and promoting social cohesion.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
Reid plays the New Boy’s difference, almost beyond human, with surprising subtlety and restraint for such a raw performer (which is essential to capture that primal sense of survival at all costs).—
Ella Kemp,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 13 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share