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

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

   • Cached

   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.

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

   www.thefreedictionary.com › primitive

   • Cached

   1. A person belonging to a nonindustrial, often tribal society, especially a society characterized by a low level of economic or technological complexity. 2. Derogatory An unsophisticated or unintelligent person.

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

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primitive

   noun. a person who belongs to an early stage of civilization. synonyms: primitive person. see more. adjective. belonging to an early stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness. “ primitive movies of the 1890s” “ primitive living conditions in the Appalachian mountains” synonyms: crude, rude. early.

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

   www.yourdictionary.com › primitive

   • Cached

   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.