primeval C2 Topic:Time US /pɹaɪ̯ˈmi.vəl/ UK /pɹaɪ̯ˈmiː.vəl/ See IPA manual Freq #32626 Meanings 1 adj Belonging to the earliest ages of the world; very ancient. The explorers pushed deep into the primeval forest. 2 adj Deep and instinctive, as if from the dawn of human existence. A primeval fear gripped her as the lights went out. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 adj · belonging to the earliest... aboriginal Word family Forms primevally Derived forms primevalityprimevallyprimevalness Etymology AI details From Latin primaevus (“in the first or earliest period of life”) + -al, from primus (“first”) + aevum (“time, age”); see prime and age. *per- Proto-Indo-European View etymology graph -> Topics Time Word Formation & Derivatives External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # primeval **Type:** Word **Level:** C2 **Part of speech:** adj **IPA (US):** /pɹaɪ̯ˈmi.vəl/ **IPA (UK):** /pɹaɪ̯ˈmiː.vəl/ **Frequency rank:** 32626 ## Meanings 1. Belonging to the earliest ages of the world; very ancient. 2. Deep and instinctive, as if from the dawn of human existence. ## Examples - The explorers pushed deep into the primeval forest. - A primeval fear gripped her as the lights went out. ## Derived Forms - primevality - primevally - primevalness ## Roots and Affixes - Root: *per- ## Etymology From Latin primaevus (“in the first or earliest period of life”) + -al, from primus (“first”) + aevum (“time, age”); see prime and age. ## AI Etymology Primeval is from Latin primaevus (“in the first or earliest period of life”) + -al, from primus (“first”) + aevum (“time, age”); see prime and age. In present-day use, it can mean belonging to the earliest ages of the world; very ancient, or deep and instinctive, as if from the dawn of human existence. Derived formations include primevality, primevally, and primevalness. ## Topics - Time - Word Formation & Derivatives markdown