atavistic

adjective

Definition of atavisticnext
as in archaic
formal very primitive
—used to describe feelings or qualities that human beings have had from the earliest times atavistic instincts reverting to atavistic behavior

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavistic
  1. archaic
  2. historical
  3. old-world
  4. outmoded
  5. bygone
  6. prehistoric
  7. antiquated
  8. historic
Adjective
  • That led various departments to buy archaic typewriters, 28 kinds of typewriter ribbons, and 132 kinds of pencils.
    Bruce W. Dearstyne / Made by History, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025
  • In the immediate aftermath of the event, it was reported (including here and here and here), and then spread widely on social media, that this was because Southwest was still using an archaic version of Microsoft Windows that had never received the problematic CrowdStrike update.
    Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of archaic
Adjective
  • Uncovering cultural resilience To better understand South Korea’s unique leisure culture, Kim looked to its historical backdrop — particularly the cultural stagnation that followed the decades of Japanese colonial rule and the Korean War.
    Hanna Park, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Its historical roots go deep, and remnants of its rich history is found scattered across the island.
    Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Definition of historical
Adjective
  • Before President Biden’s eulogy for Carter was delivered, attendees could take in the vaulted ceiling, 200-plus stained glass windows, round boss stones and the old-world artisanship of the Gothic structure that took 83 years to complete.
    Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Opera gloves made a marked return, following a pique in interest in the old-world accessory over the last few years.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Jan. 2025
Definition of old-world
Adjective
  • This is particularly true when the prevailing stereotypes are based on outmoded information.
    Mark C. Perna, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
  • More than half of federal prison facilities were built before 1991 and many are becoming outmoded or obsolete, the agency said.
    Michael R. Sisak and Michael Balsamo, Los Angeles Times, 5 Dec. 2024
Definition of outmoded
Adjective
  • The calming voice of a bygone narrator from Radio Days plays over a rich color palette of the Mushroom Kingdom.
    Michael Ashley, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
  • Excerpt Excerpt: Up, Up, & Away Jonah Keri In Up, Up, & Away, author Jonah Keri recounts the history of the bygone Montreal Expos and his connection to the team.
    Max Ufberg, hazlitt.net, 4 Jan. 2025
Definition of bygone
Adjective
  • Does the music industry instantly revert to the prehistoric epoch of 2017—will Snapchat become the hottest major label scouting ground?
    Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Consider Lascaux in France, which is a cave covered in prehistoric art.
    Michelle Mastro, Architectural Digest, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • Though the field was getting crowded with other companies and his original product was now antiquated, Hancock felt there was still plenty of room for innovation.
    Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 10 Jan. 2025
  • The movie was not selected by the antiquated process for Best International Feature Film by India (who went with Laapataa Ladies) or France (Emilia Pérez).
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of antiquated
Adjective
  • Barkley was on pace to beat Dickerson’s historic mark, but Eagles coach Nick Sirianni held him out of their Week 18 game against the woeful Giants.
    Rob Reischel, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
  • Many of the series' train arrivals, departures, and platform conversations were filmed at Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, a historic station — still running steam and diesel engines — with a vintage vibe that was a perfect fit for the show's era.
    Matt Cabral, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2025
Definition of historic
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near atavistic

atavisms

atavistic

at close quarters

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

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