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primitive

/ˈpɹɪmɪtɪv/noun, adjective3 syllables

Primitive means: belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness.

Synonyms for primitive24

noun, as in a person who belongs to an early stage of civilization

primitive person

adjective, as in belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness

crude, rude, early

adjective, as in little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type

archaic, early

adjective, as in used of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies

noncivilized, noncivilised

adjective, as in of or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style

naive, untrained

also used for primitive

primitive word, radical, radical word, incipient, nascent, primary, beginning, commencing, earliest, first, initial, maiden, backwards, old-timey, retro

Includes material from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

What does primitive mean?7

adjective

1

belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness“the crude weapons and rude agricultural implements of early man”

2

little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type“archaic forms of life”

3

used of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies“primitive societies”

4

of or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style“primitive art such as that by Grandma Moses is often colorful and striking”

noun

1

a person who belongs to an early stage of civilization

2

a mathematical expression from which another expression is derived

3

a word serving as the basis for inflected or derived forms“‘pick’ is the primitive from which ‘picket’ is derived”

Definitions from the Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Primitive in a sentence

  • When the boys go camping, they enjoy living in a primitive way.CM
  • To move forward, you need to get rid of the primitive man within you.AlanF_US
  • The bushy landscape gave the trip a wild, almost primitive atmosphere.rul
  • The anthropologist delivered a lecture on primitive cultures.unknown
  • The mastery of fire was fundamental to the survival of primitive man.rul
  • Viracocha created a primitive generation of stone giants.IdiomHunter
  • The primitive man was frightened at the sign of the beast.unknown
  • The primitive man was frightened at the sight of a savage beast.unknown

Sentences from Tatoeba, CC BY 2.0 FR, credited to their authors.

Forms of primitive

as a noun

plural
primitives