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1. Dictionary

   primitive

   /ˈprɪmɪtɪv/

   adjective

   • 1. relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something: "primitive mammals" Similar ancientearliestfirstprehistoricantediluvianantiqueprimordialprimevalprimalprimaryloweroriginalproto-ur-rare:autochthonousautochthonicprimigenialOpposite modernrecentdeveloped
   • ▪ relating to or denoting a preliterate, non-industrial society or culture characterized by simple social and economic organization: "primitive people" Similar preliteratenon-industrialpre-industrialundevelopedindigenousaboriginalsimpleunsophisticatedOpposite advancedliterateindustrial
   • ▪ (of behaviour or emotion) apparently originating in unconscious needs or desires and unaffected by objective reasoning: "the primitive responses we share with many animals"
   • ▪ of or denoting a simple, naive style of art that deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques: "the Fauves saw primitive art as a liberating force" Similar simplenaturalunsophisticatednaiveunaffectedundevelopedchildlikeinnocentartlessunpretentiousuntaughtuntraineduntutoredOpposite sophisticatedrefined
   • 2. very basic or unsophisticated in terms of comfort, convenience, or efficiency: "the accommodation at the camp was a bit primitive" Similar crudesimpleroughbasicelementaryrough-hewnrudimentaryundevelopedunrefinedunsophisticatedruderough and readymakeshiftold-fashionedobsoletearchaicOpposite sophisticatedadvanced
   • 3. not developed or derived from anything else: "primitive material of the universe"
   • ▪ denoting a word, base, or root from which another is historically derived.
   • ▪ (of an algebraic or geometric expression) from which another is derived, or which is not itself derived from another.
   • 4. (of a part or structure) in the first or early stage of formation or growth; rudimentary.

   noun

   • 1. a person belonging to a preliterate, non-industrial society: "reports of travellers and missionaries described contemporary primitives"
   • 2. a pre-Renaissance painter, or one who imitates the pre-Renaissance style.
   • ▪ an artist deliberately employing a simple, naive style: "the Catalan primitives"
   • ▪ a painting by a primitive artist, or an object in a primitive style: "Santa Fe style antiques and Mexican primitives"
   • 3. a word, base, or root from which another is historically derived.
   • ▪ an algebraic or geometric expression from which another is derived; a curve of which another is the polar or reciprocal.
   • ▪ any of a set of basic geometric shapes which may be generated in computer graphics: "the program includes a complete set of drawing primitives"

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘original, not derivative’): from Old French primitif, -ive, from Latin primitivus ‘first of its kind’, from primus ‘first’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. primitively adverb
   • 2. primitiveness noun
   • 3. primitivity noun

   Scrabble Points: 16

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   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishPRIMITIVE | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   relating to human society at a very early stage of development, with people living in a simple way without machines or a writing system: Primitive races colonized these islands 2,000 years ago. primitive man. The spiny anteater is a mammal, although a very primitive one.

3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › primitivePrimitive Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › primitive

   • Cached

   1. a. : not derived : original, primary. b. : assumed as a basis. especially : axiomatic. primitive concepts. 2. a. : of or relating to the earliest age or period : primeval. the primitive church. b. : closely approximating an early ancestral type : little evolved. primitive mammals. c.

4. www.dictionary.com › browse › primitivePRIMITIVE Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › primitive

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   Primitive definition: being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence, especially in an early age of the world. See examples of PRIMITIVE used in a sentence.

5. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishPRIMITIVE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   Primitive means belonging to a society in which people live in a very simple way, usually without industries or a writing system. ...studies of primitive societies. ...primitive tribes.

6. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primitivePrimitive - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primitive

   of or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style. “ primitive art such as that by Grandma Moses is often colorful and striking” synonyms: naive. untrained.

7. www.thefreedictionary.com › primitivePrimitive - definition of primitive by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › primitive

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   adj. 1. a. Of or relating to an early or original stage or state; primeval: life in the primitive ocean. b. Occurring in or characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution: fossils of primitive angiosperms from the Cretaceous Period. c. Having developed early in the evolutionary history of a group: Hair is a primitive trait of mammals.

8. www.yourdictionary.com › primitivePrimitive Definition & Meaning | YourDictionary

   www.yourdictionary.com › primitive

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   primitives. A person belonging to a nonindustrial, often tribal society, especially a society characterized by a low level of economic or technological complexity. A primitive person or thing. An artist or a work of art that shows ingenuousness and lack of formal training.

9. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitionprimitive adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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   very simple and old-fashioned, especially when something is also not convenient and comfortable synonym crude. The methods of communication used during the war were primitive by today's standards. The facilities on the campsite were very primitive. Transport remained very primitive.

10. en.wiktionary.org › wiki › primitiveprimitive - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

    en.wiktionary.org › wiki › primitive

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    Jun 17, 2024 · primitive (comparative more primitive, superlative most primitive) Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first.

11. www.britannica.com › dictionary › primitivePrimitive Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary

    www.britannica.com › dictionary › primitive

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    PRIMITIVE meaning: 1 : of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past; 2 : not having a written language, advanced technology, etc.