atavic

[ uh-tav-ik ]

adjective

Origin of atavic

1
1865–70; atav(ism) + -ic, modeled on French atavique

Words Nearby atavic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use atavic in a sentence

  • With atavic cunning he sat upon the outside and waited for the triumph of death.

    The Man From Brodney's | George Barr McCutcheon