atavistic
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of atavistic
Explanation
Are you scared of the dark? It's okay. That is quite a natural atavistic fear — that is, a fear related to an ancient way of thinking or behaving. Something atavistic doesn't have to be a feeling; it can be anything that's a throwback to an earlier form of life or way of looking at things. For example, a new building can be atavistic if it contains strong elements of ancient architectural styles. A physical genealogical trait handed down from many generations is also atavistic. For example, the pointed canine teeth in humans, originally used to tear meat apart when hunting, is an atavistic trait in mankind.
Vocabulary lists containing atavistic
Into the Wild
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Fences
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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
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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.
Listening to Xiu Xiu’s “Eraserhead” on a hot and stormy Friday afternoon is an atavistic summoning of the many gifts that David Lynch left us to remember him by.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
There is even an atavistic strain: The configuration of elements here suggests an African mask.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
“Parade,” which delves into antisemitism, systemic bias in our judicial system and the power of a wily demagogue to stoke atavistic hatred for self-gain, has a disconcerting timeliness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2025
Sorry you couldn’t experience this atavistic joy of cooking, Jackie.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 16, 2023
Except in some atavistic part of his brain, he knows exactly what they’ll do.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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.
