primeval

C2 Topic:Describing Qualities

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

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

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# 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
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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