as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
all life on Earth supposedly came from a primordial ooze in existence many millions of years ago
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 primordial
If the key is taken to be some primordial tradition, echoing faintly across world literature after tens of millennia, any effort to pin it down looks hopeless.
—
Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The evolutionary debut of cnidarians and ctenophores thus represented one of the most significant steps in the journey from primordial slime to humans.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
At the same time, Colossal is using a similar culture to grow the primordial germ cells of the Nicobar pigeon, which is more closely related to the dodo.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
If that model is correct, then a primordial black hole explosion could be witnessed once every 10 years.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primordial
Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
The evolutionary debut of cnidarians and ctenophores thus represented one of the most significant steps in the journey from primordial slime to humans.
—Quanta Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
At the same time, Colossal is using a similar culture to grow the primordial germ cells of the Nicobar pigeon, which is more closely related to the dodo.
—Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025
If that model is correct, then a primordial black hole explosion could be witnessed once every 10 years.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primordial
Adjective
-
On a cold winter afternoon, António and Jota return from the front with their friends, looking for an ancient Roman thermal bath.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Over time, Thompson and her colleagues have unearthed more burials, ancient human DNA and tiny human bone fragments.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Buffington had been working as an after-school instructor for classes in woodworking, primitive skills and kite-making through the Princeton Recreation Department.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
-
These regular observations will gradually take in data and aim to provide pivotal information about the strengths, compositions, and histories of these primitive cosmic bodies.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But there is a primal scream stuck in our collective throat.—
Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune,
Arkansas Online,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Nambiar directs from a script by Abhishek Bandekar that speaks to contemporary youth culture, merging the world of digital content creation with primal survival stakes.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Filled with unearthly landscapes, primeval forests, and twilight beaches, Anemone’s ornate visual design seems to underscore its characters’ emotional suffocation.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Aside from its extraordinary size, Moses marvels at the primeval nature of the Lucara diamond.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
To confirm their findings, the team compared the prehistoric residue to 250-year-old arrows stored in Swedish museums.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
And if the sneakers themselves didn’t go heavy enough with the prehistoric theme, the shoebox is also fully decked out with a dinosaur motif which, when opened, is intended to look like a Tyrannosaurus opening its mouth.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
It’ll be deployed to Google DeepMind and Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Applications center in the coming months, and additional customers will adopt it in early 2027.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primordial. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share