primal
Americanadjective
-
first; original; primeval.
primal eras before the appearance of life on earth.
-
of first importance; fundamental.
the primal resources of a nation.
adjective
-
first or original
-
chief or most important
Other Word Forms
- nonprimal adjective
Etymology
Origin of primal
From the Medieval Latin word prīmālis, dating back to 1535–45. See prime, -al 1
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.
Verstappen would like F1 to change the rules, but that is because he has a fundamental, almost primal, objection to what they have done to the cars.
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
After Eva and Ryland briefly ruminate on fear and primal instinct, Ryland’s otherwise direct and unemotional government superior takes to the mic, performing a cover of Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times.”
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
"Motherhood can activate insecurity, comparison, and fear of exclusion in ways that feel almost primal."
From BBC • Jan. 17, 2026
But there’s a primal quality to the play’s conflicts that endows the work with an eternal vitality in the theater.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 15, 2025
“The night before the big show, we go have primal scream to get all the nerves out.”
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
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.
