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
New York, in LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe’s adaptation of Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 poem, is in a state like ever-shifting primordial ooze.
—
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
Scientists at Colossal have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Scientists at the company have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Dancing with an old fave will be almost as exciting as getting a glimpse of the primordial riverbed, which is usually covered with sludge.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primordial
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 19 Mar. 2026
Scientists at Colossal have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Scientists at the company have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Dancing with an old fave will be almost as exciting as getting a glimpse of the primordial riverbed, which is usually covered with sludge.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primordial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primordial
Adjective
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The resort is built on the site of an ancient Hawaiian fishing village and during development, an historic Hawaiian trail and several anchialine pools were found.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
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Scientists think dogs descended from an ancient population of gray wolves somewhere in Europe or Asia.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There are also several primitive campgrounds spaced out around the park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
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Seidle sketches out miniature worlds on his Casio with the oblong abstractions of a kindergartener doodling on a piece of paper, his primitive songs existing in a kind of nascent pre-genre state.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The theology in such conflicts usually masks more primal power struggles and still tends to make the wars and warriors more fanatical and bloodthirsty.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
3 Apr. 2026
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But the primal thrill of watching Rooney take games by the scruff of the neck at will never fade.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This 50-square-mile crescent in the Pacific has the southernmost coral reef in the world and a wealth of wilderness walks that include everything from primeval banyan forests to endangered ground-dwelling birds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Dec. 2025
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Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California Time slows to a primeval pace in the sequoia groves that make up Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where arboreal giants have watched the seasons come and go for more than 2,000 years.—
Sarah L. Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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The doctoral student identified more than 600 previously unknown sets of Native American dice from 45 prehistoric archaeological sites in the western United States from the Late Pleistocene until after the period of European contact.—
Taylor Nicioli,
CNN Money,
8 Apr. 2026
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While most species evolve dramatically over millennia, giant salamanders represent a direct link to a prehistoric world.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen made an early exit from the Stars' first-round playoff preview matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.—
R.J. Coyle,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
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In the early nineties, the British indie band Heavenly struck out in pursuit of the most infectious guitar-pop melody.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primordial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primordial. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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