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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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in barbarian
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Example 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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The most rudimentary method is something anyone with a computer can do at home: asking a chatbot to produce many responses to a single question.—
Lauren Leffer,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2025
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The museum displays the rudimentary equipment and clothing that alpinists once used and showcases their great achievements in conquering mountains here and abroad.—
Joanne Shurvell,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
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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By my naive estimation, our home sat at least three blocks south of the street no wildfire could realistically cross in any event other than the biblical apocalypse.—
Mikey O'Connell,
The Hollywood Reporter,
13 Jan. 2025
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His first assignment is prosecuting Ma Ka-kit (Mason Fung), a naive young man pressured by his legal team into pleading guilty to drug charges despite his innocence.—
Richard Kuipers,
Variety,
10 Jan. 2025
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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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
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Consider Lascaux in France, which is a cave covered in prehistoric art.—
Michelle Mastro,
Architectural Digest,
16 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But despite the promise of seaweed farming, scaling up isn't simple.—
Heide Brandes,
thehustle.co,
24 Jan. 2025
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Organize your ideas with the timeless power of the triad—three points are simple, memorable, and impactful.—
Martin Gutmann,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
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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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
Thesaurus Entries Near primitive
Cite this Entry
“Primitive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primitive. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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