primordial
Americanadjective
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constituting a beginning; giving origin to something derived or developed; original; elementary.
primordial forms of life.
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Embryology. first formed.
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pertaining to or existing at or from the very beginning.
primordial matter.
adjective
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existing at or from the beginning; earliest; primeval
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constituting an origin; fundamental
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biology of or relating to an early stage of development
primordial germ cells
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of primordial
1350–1400; Middle English < Late Latin prīmōrdiālis of the beginning. See primordium, -al 1
Explanation
Primordial, an adjective, describes something that has been around forever, like cockroaches. Primordial comes from the Latin words primus, meaning "first" and ordiri, "to begin." So it is easy to see that this adjective means "first of all, original." When something is primordial, it has existed since the earliest time, like the primordial mud some scientists believe was the source of all life on Earth. Remember that is it a scientific term — don't call your teacher primordial just because she's been teaching at your school since it opened.
Vocabulary lists containing primordial
The Call of the Wild
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This Week In Words: January 4–10, 2020
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Although no primordial black hole has ever been confirmed, scientists believe they could answer several major questions about the universe.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
"And our research indicates that these primordial black holes could account for a significant portion, if not all, of dark matter."
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
“Forever wild, forever free … Latina foreva,” she recited from backstage, kicking off her set with the slinky reggaeton number of the same name — exalting the primordial goddess that lives inside every Latina.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 13, 2026
But as soon as I’m back home, some primordial instinct has me almost subconsciously reaching for my iPhone with no purpose.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
But since gravity would draw primordial black holes toward any matter, they should be much more common in and around galaxies.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
