Synonyms

primeval

American

[prahy-mee-vuhl] / praɪˈmi vəl /

Or primaeval

adjective

of or relating to the first age or ages, especially of the world.

primeval forms of life.

Synonyms:

pristine, primordial, primary

primeval British

/ praɪˈmiːvəl /

adjective

of or belonging to the first age or ages, esp of the world

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See prime.

Other Word Forms

primevally adverb

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

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.

If it upsets you to see “primeval” used as a noun, there are more upsetting things ahead, believe me.

From Los Angeles Times

Both are made of the same primeval matter, and both are the same age and size.

From New York Times

This month, the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is opening an exhibit that will use scents and sounds mimicking an ancient forest to recreate a primeval paradise.

From New York Times

For example, how much primeval forest has been cleared for an agricultural product or how the land was previously used.

From Science Daily

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023