primeval
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
See prime.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of primeval
First recorded in 1765–75; from Latin prīmaev(us) “young” ( prīm(us) prime + aev(um) age + -us adjective suffix) + -al 1
Explanation
Use primeval when you want to suggest something has existed from the beginning. The Big Bang? Dinosaur bones? Ancient trees? Yep — primeval. The adjective primeval is from the Latin root words primus, meaning "first," and aevum, meaning "age." You might have an irrational, primeval fear of monsters — meaning that your monster fear has been there for as long as you can remember.
Vocabulary lists containing primeval
The Call of the Wild
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"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury
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The Red Pyramid
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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.
The red-stone Trinetra Ganesha temple pops against the green mist of the forest primeval.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026
Both are made of the same primeval matter, and both are the same age and size.
From New York Times • May 27, 2024
This small companion galaxy is more primeval than the Milky Way in that it possesses fewer heavy elements, which are forged in stars through nuclear fusion and supernova explosions, compared to our own galaxy.
From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2023
Perlin believes this has become the mantra of society ever since Gilgamesh and his men plundered the great primeval woodland.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2023
Of course the Greeks too had their roots in the primeval slime.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
