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
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Recent Examples of primordial
In the new movie starring Denzel Washington, the camera rollicks, the edit clips at warp speed, and the sound mix explodes in Lee's coruscating New York — but the primordial ethical conflict at its heart simmers the same.
—
Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
There’s not only this primordial, extraterrestrial Xenomorph, [the] threatening past catching up with us, but this future, this synthetic AI [and] artificial human future is looming, is on the horizon.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2025
In the conflict between Hobbes and Rousseau, between visions of primordial humankind as inherently brutal or inherently peaceful, Tsangari stacks the dramatic deck in favor of benign and placid human nature.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Tour the Lord of the Rings film sets in New Zealand
New Zealand’s dramatic natural landscapes tell their own history, dating back to primordial times when volcanic activity sculpted a setting that looks like nowhere else on Earth.
—AFAR Media, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for primordial
Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 15 Aug. 2025
There’s not only this primordial, extraterrestrial Xenomorph, [the] threatening past catching up with us, but this future, this synthetic AI [and] artificial human future is looming, is on the horizon.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2025
In the conflict between Hobbes and Rousseau, between visions of primordial humankind as inherently brutal or inherently peaceful, Tsangari stacks the dramatic deck in favor of benign and placid human nature.
—Richard Brody, New Yorker, 8 Aug. 2025
Tour the Lord of the Rings film sets in New Zealand
New Zealand’s dramatic natural landscapes tell their own history, dating back to primordial times when volcanic activity sculpted a setting that looks like nowhere else on Earth.
—AFAR Media, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for primordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primordial
Adjective
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The norm is for ancient dugouts found in southern Florida to be linked to ancestors of the Calusa, the Seminole or the Miccosukee, according to the Florida Division of Historical Resources.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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Scientists can analyze these ancient samples to infer ocean temperature, sea ice cover or levels of atmospheric gases at different moments across thousands of years.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Due to an accidental feature of this primitive technology, the color of television made in the middle nineteen sixties is essentially public, rather than private.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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Campsites are a step above primitive, with nearby water, pit toilets, picnic tables and food lock-up boxes provided.—
Don Sproul,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Of course, every human era is obsessed with its end, a fact that connects Sacrifice to something more primal than mere 21st-century anxiety.—
Richard Lawson,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Sep. 2025
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Greengrass viewed the story of The Lost Bus through a similar lens, following a micro, primal cinematic story of survival that was ultimately about what these disasters mean on a macro level.—
Tomris Laffly,
Time,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The wilder West, meanwhile, is marked by vast, primeval cliffs that drop into an unforgiving ocean.—
Zoë Dare Hall,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Suddenly, 43 seconds later, the sky cracked open and light came screaming out in a primeval flash of energy.—
David Perlmutt,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Research conducted at Zvejnieki has often challenged longheld assumptions about gender roles in prehistoric Europe.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
11 Sep. 2025
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Towering over its modern relatives, this prehistoric predator was not only the largest species of lion ever recorded, but also one of the top apex predators of the Ice Age.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Most early adopters of dishwashers were institutions such as restaurants that could turn that investment into savings onlabor costs, product loss, and time management.—
Jeremy Lott,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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They were pulled from the Red Barn, a local landmark dating to the early 1900s in this small community southwest of the Keweenaw Peninsula.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primordial. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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