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

And so all of that came down to these sort of primal fears about engaging with people and connecting and being seen and being vulnerable and all of those things. —Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2024

The influence of Mars isn’t solely about aggression but about harnessing a primal force to take action, transform situations and protect what matters most. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 Oct. 2024

That primal, guttural competitiveness takes over, and sometimes, unfortunately, emotional intelligence takes a back seat. —Brendan Keegan, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2024

Driven by this primal curiosity as much as by duty and love, the man eventually comes face-to-face with her abductor (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) and follows him down a rabbit hole that leads to the film's grim punchline of an ending. —Keith Staskiewicz, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024

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