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

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › primitive

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   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.

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

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   Nov 4, 2017 · PRIMITIVE definition: 1. relating to human society at a very early stage of development, with people living in a simple…. Learn more.

4. 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.

5. 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.

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

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primitive

   little evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type. “ primitive mammals”. “the okapi is a short-necked primitive cousin of the giraffe”. synonyms: archaic. early. being or occurring at an early stage of development. adjective.

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

   www.thefreedictionary.com › primitive

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   1. of or belonging to the first or beginning; original. 2. characteristic of an early state, esp in being crude or uncivilized: a primitive dwelling. 3. (Anthropology & Ethnology) anthropol denoting or relating to a preliterate and nonindustrial social system.

8. 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.

9. www.oed.com › dictionary › primitive_nprimitive, n. & adj. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford...

   www.oed.com › dictionary › primitive_n

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   What does the word primitive mean? There are 39 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word primitive, nine of which are labelled obsolete, and one of which is considered derogatory. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. primitive has developed meanings and uses in subjects including.

10. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english-wordPRIMITIVE - Find out everything about this English word | Collins

    www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english-word

    • Cached

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

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

    en.wiktionary.org › wiki › primitive

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    Nov 7, 2024 · Primitive or radical words are such as cannot be divided, or separated into parts which are significant; as man, hope, bless. (biology) Occurring in or characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution. (mathematics) Not derived from another of the same type. Synonym: imprimitive.