primordial

adjective

pri·​mor·​di·​al prī-ˈmȯr-dē-əl 

1

a

: first created or developed : primeval sense 1

b

: existing in or persisting from the beginning (as of a solar system or universe)

a primordial gas cloud

c

: earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ : primitive

primordial cells

2

: fundamental, primary

primordial human joys

—Sir Winston Churchill

primordially

prī-ˈmȯr-dē-ə-lē 

adverb

Did you know?

The history of "primordial" began when the Latin words primus (meaning "first") and "ordiri" (meaning "to begin") came together to form "primordium," the Latin word for "origin." When it entered English in the 14th century, "primordial" was used in the general sense "primeval." Early on, there were hints that "primordial" would lend itself well to discussions of the earth's origins. Take, for instance, this passage from a 1398 translation of an encyclopedia called On the Properties of Things: "The virtu of God made primordial mater, in the whiche as it were in massy thinge the foure elementis were . . . nought distinguishd." Nowadays, primordial matter is often referred to in evolutionary theory as "primordial soup," a mixture of organic molecules from which life on earth originated.

Synonyms

• ancient
• early
• primal
• primeval
• primitive

Examples of primordial in a Sentence

all life on Earth supposedly came from a primordial ooze in existence many millions of years ago

Recent Examples on the Web

In our own solar system, comets are among the most primordial material—leftovers from the protoplanetary disk. —Elise Cutts, WIRED, 22 Dec. 2024

There is a primordial quality to the woods that oscillates between cacophonous forest chatter and eerie silence in the space of a ridge or two. —Laura Lancaster, Outdoor Life, 2 Jan. 2025

Unfortunately, the primary object of Eggers’s vampire’s attention, Lily-Rose Depp’s Ellen Hutter, is a victim of a destiny foretold (a scenario that recurs throughout all of Eggers’s films, which strive to push modern, secular mindsets away and immerse viewers in primordial, irrational fears). —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 25 Dec. 2024

Every play or two, someone else glanced askance from the bar, as if Cheers had been invaded by some primordial beast from the bottom of Boston Harbor. —Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Late Latin prīmōrdiālis, from Latin prīmōrdium (in plural prīmōrdia) "beginnings, origin, source, elementary stage" (from prīmus "first, earliest" + ōrd-, base of ōrdīrī "to lay a warp for weaving, embark on, begin" + -ium, deverbal suffix of function or state) + -ālis -al entry 1 — more at prime entry 1, order entry 2

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing primordial

• primordial soup

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Kids Definition

primordial

adjective

pri·​mor·​di·​al prī-ˈmȯrd-ē-əl 

: first created or developed : primeval

primordially

-ē-ə-lē 

adverb

Medical Definition

primordial

adjective

pri·​mor·​di·​al prī-ˈmȯrd-ē-əl 

: earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ : primitive

the primordial skeleton