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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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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as in barbarian
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Examples 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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In those early days, scraping was a rudimentary process, limited to simple data fetching via basic HTTP protocols.Sandro Shubladze, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
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His shop was rudimentary but well stocked, its shelves filled with whiskey, pisco, aguardiente, and beer.Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Last year, an ancient, still-active volcano was found off the Canadian coast, covered in millions of giant eggs laid by Pacific white skates (a hauntingly beautiful cartilaginous fish that looks like a stingray).Scott Travers, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
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The area buzzes with shops, restaurants, and landmarks such as the Mayan Museum of Cancun, with exhibitions showcasing ancient Mayan history and art and the adjacent San Miguelito Archeological Site of Mayan ruins.Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 13 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But Armstrong gets to play the savvier, less naive Fern as a bit more of a badass, though all four kids are in over their heads when the ship’s malfunctioning droid (Nick Frost) navigates them straight into a pirate den.Alison Herman, Variety, 3 Dec. 2024
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Photo: Getty Images Said outfit only deepened the world’s impression of Diana as naive and childlike.Hayley Maitland, Vogue, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Lucius comes into his uneasy heritage after defeat in the erroneous homeland where he is considered a barbarian.Armond White, National Review, 6 Dec. 2024
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Given the dearth of direct evidence for stimulant use among the barbarians of Europe, the researchers decided to look for indirect clues.Jason Fields, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Four of these teeth, now kept in a museum, were uncovered by quarryman Dave Brockhurst, who has collected thousands of fossil specimens of various prehistoric animals from the Ashdown Brickworks over the past three decades or so.Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
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According to the team, this combination of a variety of materials and advanced building techniques redefines the current understanding of the technologies prehistoric communities used.Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 5 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Pay particular attention to Chapters 8 and 20, where Graham discusses the margin of safety concept and the simple but profound concept that buying a share of stock is actually owning part of a whole business.Robert Daugherty, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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The equation is simple: The more authoritarianism in the world, the more dissidents.Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
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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Generally, the drama does spectacularly well with abiding by a primal sense of magical realism — the finding of wonderment in the banal and the insertion of banality into the wondrous.Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
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In the final moments, Mother gives birth to a baby girl in her living room, letting out a primal scream before the credits roll.Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 7 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near primitive
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
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