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primeval

or pri·mae·val

[ prahy-mee-vuhl ]
/ praɪˈmi vəl /
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adjective

of or relating to the first age or ages, especially of the world: primeval forms of life.

RELATED WORDS

pristine, primal, primitive, primordial, prehistoric, earliest, early, first, old, original, primary

Nearby words

  1. prime vertical,
  2. primely,
  3. primer,
  4. primero,
  5. primers,
  6. primigravida,
  7. primine,
  8. priming,
  9. primipara,
  10. primitive

Origin of primeval

1765–75; < Latin prīmaev(us) young (prīm(us) prime + aev(um) age + -us adj. suffix) + -al1
Related formspri·me·val·ly, adverb
Can be confusedprimal primeval primordial
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for primeval

British Dictionary definitions for primeval

primeval

primaeval

/ (praɪˈmiːvəl) /

adjective

of or belonging to the first age or ages, esp of the world
Derived Formsprimevally or primaevally, adverb

Word Origin for primeval

C17: from Latin prīmaevus youthful, from prīmus first + aevum age
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
Word Origin and History for primeval

primeval

adj.

also primaeval, 1650s, with -al (1) + Latin primaevus "early in life, youthful," from primus "first" (see prime (adj.)) + aevum "an age" (see eon).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper