as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed
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Recent Examples of primeval
Guests are encouraged to join excursions, both by boat to see the island’s beaches and coves, and by land to explore that primeval rain forest.
—
Ann Abel, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border opens on a wide shot of an endless stretch of trees — the densely forested, almost primeval zone marking the boundary between Belarus and Poland where much of the film will take place.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 June 2024
This enormous park, which sits mostly in Wyoming’s northwestern corner with slices in Idaho and Montana, offers plenty of conventional lodging choices, but there’s no better way to experience this primeval place than by camping.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Feb. 2023
Minervini is interested in the primeval aspects of American history — not the cultural force that John Huston captured in his adaptation of Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage.
—Armond White, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for primeval 
Ann Abel, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024
Agnieszka Holland’s Green Border opens on a wide shot of an endless stretch of trees — the densely forested, almost primeval zone marking the boundary between Belarus and Poland where much of the film will take place.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 June 2024
This enormous park, which sits mostly in Wyoming’s northwestern corner with slices in Idaho and Montana, offers plenty of conventional lodging choices, but there’s no better way to experience this primeval place than by camping.
—Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Feb. 2023
Minervini is interested in the primeval aspects of American history — not the cultural force that John Huston captured in his adaptation of Stephen Crane’s Red Badge of Courage.
—Armond White, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for primeval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primeval
Adjective
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Designed with geometric forms that evoke the pyramids in the backdrop, the museum invites visitors to journey through ancient Egypt’s 3,000-year history, starting with the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3100 B.C. and ending with the Roman conquest in 30 B.C.—
Kate McMahon,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Jan. 2025
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Historians have argued that similar helmets were worn by ancient warriors of many Greek city-states.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
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The fear of being next on the social media chopping block prevents us from admitting our ugly insecurities, our primal urges, or our more taboo thoughts.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
31 Dec. 2024
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But longtime plunge aficionados say the allure often boils down to one primal need: community.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
29 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But evidence of when prehistoric people started eating meat has been difficult to find.—
Hatty Willmoth,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
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These prehistoric people most closely followed a Mediterranean-like diet.—
Tom Gavin,
EverydayHealth.com,
13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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In our own solar system, comets are among the most primordial material—leftovers from the protoplanetary disk.—
Elise Cutts,
WIRED,
22 Dec. 2024
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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
Adjective
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The Next-Generation of All-Electric RVing As with the early prototype, the Flow features thoughtfully appointed interiors and a sleek design that Pebble says is designed to reduce drag.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Jan. 2025
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The two options, presented to the governor’s staff in early December, included a plan to have UConn Health stockpile the drug, which would have cost roughly $1.2 million, and another to have Planned Parenthood do so, which would have cost around $850,000, according to Gilchrest.—
Katy Golvala,
Hartford Courant,
19 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near primeval
Cite this Entry
“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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