primitive
primitive Lexical Profile
primitive Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something.
"Fossil records reveal how primitive amphibians gradually adapted to life on land."
Very basic, crude, or undeveloped, lacking modern conveniences, technology, or sophistication.
"The hikers stayed in a primitive cabin with no running water or electricity."
Direct, instinctual, and unaffected by rational analysis or social conditioning (especially of emotions or desires).
"The sudden loud noise triggered a primitive fear response before he could think."
Not derived from something else; primary or fundamental (in mathematics, logic, computing, or linguistics).
"In this programming language, integers and booleans are treated as primitive data types."
• noun
A basic, fundamental element, geometric shape, or operation in computing, mathematics, or linguistics from which more complex structures are built.
"Most 3D modeling software allows designers to construct complex objects from simple geometric primitives like cubes and spheres."
A pre-Renaissance painter or sculptor, or a modern artist whose work is characterized by a direct, naive, or folk-art style.
"The gallery's new exhibition features works by 19th-century American primitives."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary anthropology and sociology, using 'primitive' to describe indigenous or non-industrialized societies is avoided due to outdated, ethnocentric connotations of inferiority; neutral terms like 'indigenous', 'traditional', or 'pre-industrial' are preferred.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Old French 'primitif', from Latin 'primitivus' meaning 'first or earliest of its kind', derived from 'primus' ('first').