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.
Asked what makes the tournament so popular, Mathews said he felt it was a primeval connection with rock and water, coupled with misty-eyed childhood memories.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
The red-stone Trinetra Ganesha temple pops against the green mist of the forest primeval.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Between them, they encounter America at its most beautifully primeval.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 9, 2026
Both are made of the same primeval matter, and both are the same age and size.
From New York Times ● May 27, 2024
Myrurgia for primeval woman who creates for him a world of tender privacy where the only occupant is you, mixed with Nina Ricci’s L’Air du Temps.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
