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1. Dictionary

   Prim·i·tive

   /ˈprimədiv/

   

   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, nonindustrial society or culture characterized by simple social and economic organization: "primitive people" Similar preliteratenonindustrialpreindustrialundevelopedindigenousaboriginalsimpleunsophisticatedOpposite advancedliterateindustrial
   • ▪ (of behavior, thought, 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, direct style of art that deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques: "the Fauves saw primitive art as a liberating force" Similar simplenaturalunsophisticatednaiveunaffectedundevelopedchildlikeinnocentartlessunpretentiousuntaughtuntraineduntutoredOpposite sophisticatedrefined
   • 2. having a quality or style that offers an extremely basic level of comfort, convenience, or efficiency: "the accommodations at the camp were a bit primitive" Similar crudesimpleroughbasicelementaryrough-hewnrudimentaryundevelopedunrefinedunsophisticatedruderough and readymakeshiftold-fashionedobsoletearchaicOpposite sophisticatedadvanced
   • 3. not developed or derived from anything else: "the 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, nonindustrial society: "reports of travelers and missionaries described contemporary primitives"
   • 2. a pre-Renaissance painter.
   • ▪ a modern painter who imitates the pre-Renaissance style.
   • ▪ an artist employing a simple, naive style that deliberately rejects subtlety or conventional techniques: "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.
   • ▪ a simple operation or procedure of a limited set from which complex operations or procedures may be constructed, especially a simple geometric shape that may be generated in computer graphics by such an operation or procedure: "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. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishPRIMITIVE definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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

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

   www.thefreedictionary.com › primitive

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   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.

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

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › primitive

   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.

5. 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.

6. www.dictionary.com › browse › primitivePRIMITIVE Definition & Usage Examples | 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.

7. 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.

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

   www.yourdictionary.com › primitive

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   Of or relating to an early or original stage or state; primeval. Life in the primitive ocean. American Heritage. Similar definitions. Characteristic or imitative of the earliest ages. Webster's New World. Having developed early in the evolutionary history of a group. Hair is a primitive trait of mammals. American Heritage.