primal

adjective

pri·​mal ˈprī-məl 

1

: original, primitive

village life continued in its primal innocence

—Van Wyck Brooks

2

: first in importance : primary

Synonyms

• arch
• big
• capital
• cardinal
• central
• chief
• dominant
• first
• foremost
• grand
• great
• greatest
• highest
• key
• leading
• main
• master
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• overbearing
• overmastering
• overriding
• paramount
• predominant
• preeminent
• premier
• primary
• principal
• prior
• sovereign
• sovran
• supreme

Examples of primal in a Sentence

the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity

there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics

Recent Examples on the Web

To accomplish that, the farmers had to persuade their clients to embrace a new aesthetic: less polished and more primal, twining and frondy, founded on blossoms that might be too lush and soft to endure weeks of refrigerated storage but could be guaranteed to look and smell like nothing else. —Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025

But my wife, a native Californian, sensed something more innately — some primal signal in her neurons screaming: Danger. —Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025

There’s the raw, primal nature of man vs man — that part is most definitely accurate, and easy to play out as mythic. —Bob Guccione Jr., SPIN, 11 Feb. 2025

The pair watched each other so as not to overstep on a beat and engaged in a stylistic showdown mid-song – Copeland’s jazzier style teamed with Fleetwood’s more primal thumping – as the quartet made joyful noise. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from prime entry 1 + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing primal

• primal scream therapy

Kids Definition

primal

adjective

pri·​mal ˈprī-məl 

1

: of or relating to the first period or state : primitive

2

: first in importance : basic