1
as in rudimentary
belonging to or characteristic of an early level of skill or development
primitive wooden tools were used before the Iron Age
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
a primitive period in church history when members still lived in communes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in naive
lacking in worldly wisdom or informed judgment
her taste in art was still primitive, but she knew schlock when she saw it
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barbarian
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primitive
Mike Giuliano, Howard County Times, 23 June 2017
A lot of the campgrounds are primitive, and lack some common amenities - including water.
—Jamie Hale, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017
EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
But better reasons inhere in the rush of new ideas that have reinvigorated the science of paleontology and forced us to recast murky old primitives as efficient and worthy creatures in their own terms.
—Stephen Jay Gould, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See all Example Sentences for primitive 
Adjective
Constructed in front of the stone ruins of the Patapsco Female Institute Historic Park in Ellicott City, that caveman-evocative set provides a suitably primitive stomping ground for the monstrous Caliban.
—Mike Giuliano, Howard County Times, 23 June 2017
A lot of the campgrounds are primitive, and lack some common amenities - including water.
—Jamie Hale, OregonLive.com, 6 July 2017
Noun
Meanwhile, humans have regressed into being primitives that the apes hunt for sport, or feed out of pity from beside their campfire.
—EW.com, 2 Nov. 2023
But better reasons inhere in the rush of new ideas that have reinvigorated the science of paleontology and forced us to recast murky old primitives as efficient and worthy creatures in their own terms.
—Stephen Jay Gould, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019
See all Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
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The new entrenchment tools genuinely come in handy, allowing players to build rudimentary fox holes and trenches that are useful to weather an enemy assault.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
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Some of its elements were rudimentary, in a way that revealed the divides in American society: instructors spoke about healthy eating, and a motivational speaker gave a talk on how to project confidence.—
Dexter Filkins,
The New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Archaeologists recently found an ancient Roman helmet in an unusual location, a Danish village.—
Andrea Margolis,
Fox News,
5 Feb. 2025
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With planned lunar missions set to send astronauts around the Moon next year, followed by a landing soon after, the discovery of these canyons offers an unprecedented opportunity to collect ancient geological samples.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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From there sprung Brian, played by Lou Taylor Pucci, an alien who looks like a new-age guru in a tracksuit, and, depending on the scene, can be naive, manipulative, aloof, romantic, cruel and even self-pitying.—
William Earl,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2025
-
Things were exacerbated by naive decisions made by United players on both sides of the ball.—
Carl Anka,
The Athletic,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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It was called the Save Women’s Sports Act, conjuring an image of barbarians at the gate.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2025
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By this time, Rome survived numerous attacks from pagan European tribes and the Asian Huns before finally succumbing to Germanic barbarians in 476 C.E..—
Joanne M. Pierce,
The Conversation,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers have been able to examine the soft tissues of other prehistoric marine reptiles.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
7 Feb. 2025
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Everyone's favorite candidate for the identity of the Loch Ness monster, the plesiosaurs were a group of prehistoric marine reptiles that lived in oceans throughout the world between 203 and 66 million years ago.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Its simple style can be dressed up with your best evening wear or paired with casual outfits to be your next wardrobe staple.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Yellow is the simplest, and purple is the most difficult.—
New York Times Games,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Often regarded by historians as a collection of savage tribes, the Scythians emerge as a pivotal force of the ancient world in this monumental history.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2023
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Nearly 32 years ago, Rodney King’s savage beating by police in Los Angeles prompted heartfelt calls for change.—
Aaron Morrison, Claudia Lauer and Adrian Sainz,
Anchorage Daily News,
29 Jan. 2023
Adjective
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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
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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
Thesaurus Entries Near primitive
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 20 Feb. 2025.
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