primitive

[ prim-i-tiv ]

adjective

1. being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence, especially in an early age of the world:

   primitive forms of life.

   Synonyms: pristine, antediluvian, original, primordial, primary, primal, prehistoric

2. early in the history of the world or of humankind.

   Synonyms: pristine, antediluvian, original, primordial, primary, primal, prehistoric

3. characteristic of early ages or of an early state of human development:

   primitive toolmaking.

4. Anthropology. (no longer in technical use) of or relating to a preliterate or tribal people having cultural or physical similarities with their early ancestors.
5. unaffected or little affected by civilizing influences; uncivilized:

   primitive passions.

6. being in its earliest period; early:

   the primitive phase of the history of a town.

7. old-fashioned:

   primitive ideas and habits.

8. simple; unsophisticated:

   a primitive farm implement.

9. crude; unrefined:

   primitive living conditions.

10. Linguistics.
    1. of or relating to a form from which a word or other linguistic form is derived; not derivative; original or radical.
    2. of or relating to a protolanguage.
    3. of or relating to a linguistic prime.
11. primary, as distinguished from secondary.
12. Biology.
    1. rudimentary; primordial.
    2. noting species, varieties, etc., only slightly evolved from early antecedent types.
    3. of early formation and temporary, as a part that subsequently disappears.

noun

1. someone or something primitive.
2. Fine Arts.
   1. an artist of a preliterate culture.
   2. a naive or unschooled artist.
   3. an artist belonging to the early stage in the development of a style.
   4. a work of art by a primitive artist.
3. Mathematics.
   1. a geometric or algebraic form or expression from which another is derived.
   2. a function of which the derivative is a given function.
4. Linguistics. the form from which a given word or other linguistic form has been derived, by either morphological or historical processes, as take in undertake.

primitive

/ ˈprɪmɪtɪv /

adjective

1. of or belonging to the first or beginning; original
2. characteristic of an early state, esp in being crude or uncivilized

   a primitive dwelling

3. anthropol denoting or relating to a preliterate and nonindustrial social system
4. biology
   1. of, relating to, or resembling an early stage in the evolutionary development of a particular group of organisms

      primitive amphibians

   2. another word for primordial
5. showing the characteristics of primitive painters; untrained, childlike, or naive
6. geology pertaining to magmas that have experienced only small degrees of fractional crystallization or crystal contamination
7. obsolete.
   of, relating to, or denoting rocks formed in or before the Palaeozoic era
8. obsolete.
   denoting a word from which another word is derived, as for example hope, from which hopeless is derived
9. Protestant theol of, relating to, or associated with a minority group that breaks away from a sect, denomination, or Church in order to return to what is regarded as the original simplicity of the Gospels

noun

1. a primitive person or thing
2. 1. an artist whose work does not conform to traditional, academic, or avant-garde standards of Western painting, such as a painter from an African or Oceanic civilization
   2. a painter of the pre-Renaissance era in European painting
   3. a painter of any era whose work appears childlike or untrained Also called (for senses 11a, 11c)naive
3. a work by such an artist
4. a word or concept from which another word or concept is derived
5. maths a curve, function, or other form from which another is derived

primitive

/ prĭm′ĭ-tĭv /

1. Relating to an early or original stage.
2. Having evolved very little from an early type. Lampreys and sturgeon are primitive fishes.

Derived Forms

• ˈprimitively, adverb
• ˈprimitiveness, noun

Other Words From

• primi·tive·ly adverb
• primi·tive·ness primi·tivi·ty noun
• non·primi·tive adjective noun
• non·primi·tive·ly adverb
• non·primi·tive·ness noun
• pre·primi·tive adjective
• pseudo·primi·tive adjective
• semi·primi·tive adjective
• un·primi·tive adjective
• un·primi·tive·ly adverb
• un·primi·tive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of primitive¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English (noun and adjective) (from Middle French primitif ), from Latin prīmitīvus “first of its kind.” See prime, -itive

Word History and Origins

Origin of primitive¹

C14: from Latin prīmitīvus earliest of its kind, primitive, from prīmus first

Synonym Study

See prime.

Example Sentences

Otherwise, don’t be scared to primitive-camp outside of a campground.

From Outside Online

It distorts our view of nature and makes all the other species around us seem more primitive and somehow unfinished.

From Nautilus

The result is a primitive wine, completely handmade, the product of prison inventiveness.

From Washington Blade

While there is some primitive camping inside the park boundaries, most visitors choose one of the privately owned campgrounds or “resorts” that sit adjacent to the park proper.

From Outside Online

The majority of the island is protected, so expect a primitive beach-going experience.

From Outside Online

When we assign a primitive “not me” status to another individual or social group, it can—and does—take us down a destructive path.

From The Daily Beast

We were careful with how we dealt with suspected patients and what we did with our primitive coverings, it was steamy.

From The Daily Beast

We cannot keep judging mothers by a primitive, antiquated, simplistic standard.

From The Daily Beast

It also may relate to our still primitive understanding of the natural history of Ebola virus infection.

From The Daily Beast

When the group seized control of Gaza in 2007, its primitive rockets had a range of no more than 25 miles.

From The Daily Beast

Something remote and ancient stirred in her, something that was not of herself To-day, something half primitive, half barbaric.

From Project Gutenberg

A writer has truthfully said in regard to associating the name and use of the plant with the primitive users of it.

From Project Gutenberg

In this way child's play, like primitive art, shows a certain unconscious selectiveness.

From Project Gutenberg

A primitive savage makes a bow and arrow in a day: it takes him a fortnight to make a bark canoe.

From Project Gutenberg

“They have a primitive mode of conducting funerals here,” said Tom Brown when the major had left.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• archaic
• basic
• primeval
• primordial
• pristine
• undeveloped