primitive

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɹɪmɪtɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #7241

Meanings

1

adj
Belonging to an early stage of human development, before modern technology.

The museum displays tools used by primitive societies.
2

adj
Simple, basic, or old-fashioned, often lacking comfort or quality.

The cabin had only primitive cooking facilities.
3

adj
Relating to the very beginning or earliest times.

Scientists study the primitive forms of life on Earth.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · simple, basic, or... crude backward

3 adj · relating to the very... original earliest

Word family

Forms primitivenessprimitives

Derived forms aadaopamultiprimitiveneoprimitiveneoprimitivistnonprimitivepreprimitiveprimitivelyprimitivenessprimitivismprimitivistprimitivisticprimitivity

Etymology

From Middle English primitif, from Old French primitif, from Latin prīmitīvus (“first or earliest of its kind”), from prīmus (“first”); see prime. Doublet of primitivo.

primitif Middle English prīmitīvus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# primitive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹɪmɪtɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 7241

## Meanings
1. Belonging to an early stage of human development, before modern technology.
2. Simple, basic, or old-fashioned, often lacking comfort or quality.
3. Relating to the very beginning or earliest times.

## Examples
- The museum displays tools used by primitive societies.
- The cabin had only primitive cooking facilities.
- Scientists study the primitive forms of life on Earth.

## Derived Forms
- aadaopa
- multiprimitive
- neoprimitive
- neoprimitivist
- nonprimitive
- preprimitive
- primitively
- primitiveness
- primitivism
- primitivist
- primitivistic
- primitivity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: primitif
- Root: prīmitīvus

## Etymology
From Middle English primitif, from Old French primitif, from Latin prīmitīvus (“first or earliest of its kind”), from prīmus (“first”); see prime. Doublet of primitivo.

## AI Etymology
Primitive comes from Middle English primitif, from Old French primitif, from Latin prīmitīvus (“first or earliest of its kind”), from prīmus (“first”); see prime. Doublet of primitivo. The historical chain includes primitif (Middle English), primitif (Old French), prīmitīvus (Latin). In present-day English it covers belonging to an early stage of human development, before modern technology, simple, basic, or old-fashioned, often lacking comfort or quality, and relating to the very beginning or earliest times. The wider family includes derived forms such as aadaopa, multiprimitive, neoprimitive, neoprimitivist, nonprimitive.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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