HyperDic: primitive

English > 7 senses of the word primitive:
ADJECTIVEallprimitive, crude, rudebelonging to an early stage / stage of technical development
allprimitive, archaiclittle evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type
allprimitiveused of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies
allprimitive, naiveof or created by one without formal training
NOUNperson primitive, primitive persona person who belongs to an early stage / stage of civilization
communicationprimitivea mathematical expression from which another expression is derived
communicationprimitivea word serving as the basis for inflected or derived forms
primitive > pronunciation
Soundsprih'mahtihv; prih'mihtihv
Rhymesabortive ... vituperative: 304 rhymes with ihv...
English > primitive: 7 senses > adjective 1
MeaningBelonging to an early stage / stage of technical development; characterized by simplicity and (often) crudeness.
Examples
  • "primitive movies of the 1890s"
  • "primitive living conditions in the Appalachian mountains"
Synonymscrude, rude
BroaderearlyBeing or occurring at an early stage / stage of development
Spanishprimitivo, rudimentario, tosco
Catalanprimitiu
Nounsprimitivenessa wild or unrefined state
Adverbsprimitivelyin a primitive style or manner
English > primitive: 7 senses > adjective 2
MeaningLittle evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type.
Examples
  • "primitive mammals"
  • "the okapi is a short-necked primitive cousin of the giraffe"
Synonymarchaic
BroaderearlyBeing or occurring at an early stage / stage of development
Spanishprimitivo
Catalanprimitiu
Nounsprimitivea person who belongs to an early stage / stage of civilization
primitivenessa wild or unrefined state
English > primitive: 7 senses > adjective 3
MeaningUsed of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies.
Example"primitive societies"
CategoryanthropologyThe social science that studies the origins / origins and social relationships of human beings
Broadernoncivilized, noncivilisednot having a high state of culture and social development
Spanishprimitivo
Nounsprimitivea person who belongs to an early stage / stage of civilization
primitivenessa wild or unrefined state
English > primitive: 7 senses > adjective 4
MeaningOf or created by one without formal training; simple or naive in style.
Example"primitive art such as that by Grandma Moses is often colorful and striking"
Synonymnaive
Categoryfine arts, beaux artsThe study and creation of visual works of art
Broaderuntrainednot disciplined or conditioned or made adept by training
English > primitive: 7 senses > noun 1, person
MeaningA person who belongs to an early stage / stage of civilization.
Synonymprimitive person
NarrowerAryan, Indo-EuropeanA member of the prehistoric people who spoke Proto-Indo European
Basket MakerEarly Amerindians related to the Pueblo
Heidelberg man, Homo heidelbergensisA type of primitive man who lived in Europe
Mound Builderprehistoric Amerindians who built altar mounds
Piltdown man, Piltdown hoaxA supposedly primitive man later proven to be a hoax
autochthonThe earliest known inhabitants of a region
caveman, cave man, cave dweller, troglodytesomeone who lives in a cave
missing link, ape-manhypothetical organism formerly thought to be intermediate between apes and human beings
savage, barbarianA member of an uncivilized people
wild man, feral manA person who is not socialized / socialized
Broaderperson, individual, someone, somebody, mortal, soulA human being
Spanishprimitivo
Catalanprimitiu
Adjectivesprimitivelittle evolved from or characteristic of an earlier ancestral type
primitiveused of preliterate or tribal or nonindustrial societies
English > primitive: 7 senses > noun 2, communication
MeaningA mathematical expression from which another expression is derived.
Broaderformula, expressionA group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
English > primitive: 7 senses > noun 3, communication
MeaningA word serving as the basis for inflected or derived forms.
Example"'pick' is the primitive from which 'picket' is derived"
BroaderwordA unit of language that native speakers can identify

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