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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barbarian
Related Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primitive
Kristina Kasparian, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
In November 1985, the company launched Windows, a graphical operating environment layered on top of its operating system MS-DOS, which is primitive by modern standards, but radical for its time.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Adjective
Take a boat to the primitive island of Palmarola, and swim near volcanic sea stacks.
—Kristina Kasparian, Travel + Leisure, 15 Mar. 2026
In November 1985, the company launched Windows, a graphical operating environment layered on top of its operating system MS-DOS, which is primitive by modern standards, but radical for its time.
—Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026
Noun
It can be used to achieve a lot of other cryptographic primitives.
—Quanta Magazine, 1 Aug. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for primitive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primitive
Adjective
-
By the late 1950s, Houdry had invented a rudimentary catalytic converter.—
Ann E. Carlson,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The crash occurred at Tempe in northern Greece after a passenger train was placed on the wrong track, into the path of an oncoming freight train — an astonishing lapse on a rudimentary rail network.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But this modern approach is teamed with ancient medicinal practices and a holistic, full-circle philosophy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Passover is a major Jewish holiday commemorating the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In Wuthering Heights, Oliver played Isabella Linton, an initially naïve woman infatuated with ideas of romance whose are opened to the reality around her.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
-
The opera is about Don José, a naive young man who leaves his small town to join the Spanish army.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In most academic histories of European imperialism written in this century, the Europeans are the barbarians, killing and raping and looting on an unprecedented scale.—
David A. Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Yet the fact that Native Americans were not Christians but instead animists meant that Europeans viewed them as heathens, pagans, and barbarians, with few claims to the dignity to which Christians were entitled.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
But the primal thrill of watching Rooney take games by the scruff of the neck at will never fade.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Evil Kirk is a frightening, primal menace, skulking around the corridors like a feral beast, chugging brandy and assaulting Yeoman Rand with no conscience.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This one just happens to involve wizards, goblins, and one savage, half-blind dragon.—
Séamas O'Reilly,
Vulture,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Just as all British became painted as corrupt as part of their national character, so too did all Native people become seen as savage by their biological nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her burial site wasn’t far from where other prehistoric remains have been discovered over the years, on what was once a bluff overlooking the river.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Casa Grande's Great House Casa Grande, or the Great House, is one of the largest prehistoric structures built in North America.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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