as in archaic
formal
very primitive
—used to describe feelings or qualities that human beings have had from the earliest times
atavistic instincts reverting to atavistic behavior
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavistic
Adjective
-
Of course, fielding percentage is an archaic metric that modern baseball fans don’t bother with.—
Levi Weaver,
New York Times,
20 May 2025 -
After 2012, when Putin returned to the presidency, the Kremlin began tightening its grip on Russia’s elites, embracing an archaic militarism, and widening its repression of civil society.—
ANDREI YAKOVLEV,
Foreign Affairs,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Most of it is invented, but the beginning was inspired by historical incidents.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
25 May 2025
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The 922 reports logged through late May is 281 more than the historical average of 641 for this time of year, the outlet said.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
Bessie is a Holocaust survivor, with one of those old-world Eastern European accents and a woe-is-me shrug of a personality to match.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
20 May 2025
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Perhaps the best wines for pairing are from Sonoma-Cutrer, which uses old-world and new-world winemaking techniques to create wines that perfectly complement food—especially dishes from area restaurants.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
But those ideas reflect an outmoded view of China and a fundamental misunderstanding of its economic and political system.—
Bob Davis,
Time,
12 Apr. 2025
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Our rounded bellies and our heavy thighs in the run-resistant, outmoded styles.—
Hélène Bessette,
Harpers Magazine,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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In the bygone era, many attributes were the sort of magical connections that took place in IRL and were not masterminded in boardrooms or via digital platforms.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
-
The engagement and accessibility and near-innocence of the vibe felt like something from a bygone era.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
31 May 2025
Adjective
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The obvious difference is the lack of a coastal element, as Sand Valley’s courses are spread across 12,000 acres of prehistoric sand dunes.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
Beneath the surface of Warm Mineral Springs, divers have discovered prehistoric remains dating back 10,000 years.—
Sean Kingsley,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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Extra pomp doesn’t have to skew antiquated, either, as several modern variations from upscale brands like Sferra and Annie Selke illustrate.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
24 May 2025
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Read about the towns across the country that are successfully moving away from antiquated parking mandates.—
Casey Moran,
Hartford Courant,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Like Venice, Barcelona and other historic European cities, Bruges has been struggling to cope with overtourism.—
Lilit Marcus,
CNN Money,
24 May 2025
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The historic residence in the Poverty Ridge neighborhood now awaits its next caretaker.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
24 May 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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