What is another word for primitive?
807 synonyms found
Pronunciation:
[ pɹˈɪmɪtˌɪv], [ pɹˈɪmɪtˌɪv], [ p_ɹ_ˈɪ_m_ɪ_t_ˌɪ_v]
The word primitive conjures up images of the earliest stages of human existence. However, there are several synonyms that can be used interchangeably to describe this concept. Words like ancient, archaic, prehistoric, and primordial all evoke a sense of primitivity. Other synonyms include basic, fundamental, and elemental. Archaeological terms such as Neolithic and Paleolithic can also be used to describe this concept. Words like rustic, crude, and raw also convey the idea of primitiveness. Regardless of which synonym is used, they all emphasize a sense of simplicity, roughness, or a lack of complexity, a characteristic that is often associated with primitive cultures and societies.
Table of Contents
Similar words for primitive:
- amateur (adjective)
- barbarian (adjective)
- earliest (adjective)
- early (adjective)
- idolatrous (adjective)
- medieval (adjective)
- old (adjective)
- olden (adjective)
- original (adjective)
- rudimentary (adjective)
- simple (adjective)
- thoughtless (adjective)
- undeveloped (adjective)
- aboriginal (adjective)
- all (adjective)
- antediluvian (adjective)
- archaic (adjective)
- austere (adjective)
- barbaric (adjective)
- barbarous (adjective)
- basic (adjective)
- benighted (adjective)
- cannibalistic (adjective)
- colonial (adjective)
- crude (adjective)
- elementary (adjective)
- essential (adjective)
- fierce (adjective)
- first (adjective)
- fundamental (adjective)
- indigenous (adjective)
- native (adjective)
- natural (adjective)
- old-fashioned (adjective)
- organic (adjective)
- passe (adjective)
- prehistoric (adjective)
- primary (adjective)
- primary/prime (adjective)
- primitive (adjective)
- radical (adjective)
- rough-and-ready (adjective)
- rudimental (adjective)
- rustic (adjective)
- savage (adjective)
- uncivilized (adjective)
- underlying (adjective)
- unprocessed (adjective)
- unrefined (adjective)
- unthoughtful (adjective)
- wild (adjective)
- artists (noun)
- cannibal (noun)
- noncivilised (noun)
- noncivilized (noun)
- person (noun)
- uncivilized (noun)
- barbarous
- inconsiderate
- man-eater
- old fashioned
- primitive
- uncivilized
- wild
- other relevant words (adjective)
- other relevant words (noun)
Synonyms for Primitive:
-
adj.
• amateur- amateur ,
- incompetent ,
- inexperienced ,
- nonprofessional ,
- novice ,
- unprofessional ,
- unskilled .
- lowbrow ,
- boorish ,
- brutal ,
- coarse ,
- cruel ,
- inhuman ,
- merciless ,
- philistine ,
- uncivil ,
- uncouth ,
- untamed ,
- vicious ,
- vulgar .
- aged ,
- ancient ,
- antiquated ,
- antique ,
- cast-off ,
- castoff ,
- elderly ,
- of old ,
- of yore ,
- olden ,
- oldfangled ,
- paleolithic ,
- primeval ,
- time-worn ,
- venerable ,
- wornout .
- rude .
- bald ,
- bare ,
- bleak ,
- clean ,
- dour ,
- plain ,
- severe ,
- spare ,
- spartan ,
- stark ,
- subdued ,
- unadorned ,
- unembellished ,
- vanilla .
- in dispensable ,
- in-dispensable ,
- more necessary ,
- more substratal ,
- most substratal ,
- sub stratal ,
- sub-stratal ,
- substratal .
- Outland ,
- de pendent ,
- de-pendent ,
- more dominion ,
- more emigrant ,
- more frontier ,
- more immigrant ,
- more outland ,
- more pilgrim ,
- more prerevolutionary ,
- more transplanted ,
- most dominion ,
- most emigrant ,
- most frontier ,
- most immigrant ,
- most outland ,
- most pilgrim ,
- most prerevolutionary ,
- most transplanted ,
- newest ,
- pre revolutionary ,
- pre-revolutionary ,
- trans planted ,
- trans-planted ,
- un settled ,
- un-settled .
- impure ,
- in expert ,
- in rough ,
- in-expert ,
- more outline ,
- more prentice ,
- more rough hewn ,
- more rough-hewn ,
- more roughhewn ,
- more ungraded ,
- more unmatured ,
- more unmilled ,
- more unproficient ,
- more unsorted ,
- more unworked ,
- more unwrought ,
- most outline ,
- most prentice ,
- most rough hewn ,
- most rough-hewn ,
- most roughhewn ,
- most ungraded ,
- most unmatured ,
- most unmilled ,
- most unproficient ,
- most unsorted ,
- most unworked ,
- most unwrought ,
- out line ,
- out-line ,
- rough hewn ,
- rough-hewn ,
- roughhewn ,
- un finished ,
- un formed ,
- un graded ,
- un matured ,
- un milled ,
- un polished ,
- un prepared ,
- un proficient ,
- un sorted ,
- un taught ,
- un trained ,
- un worked ,
- un wrought ,
- un-finished ,
- un-formed ,
- un-graded ,
- un-matured ,
- un-milled ,
- un-polished ,
- un-prepared ,
- un-proficient ,
- un-sorted ,
- un-taught ,
- un-trained ,
- un-worked ,
- un-wrought ,
- unmatured ,
- untaught .
- be ginning ,
- be-ginning ,
- child play ,
- childs play ,
- meat potatoes ,
- more abcs ,
- more abecedarian ,
- more beginning ,
- more foundational ,
- more primo ,
- more simplex ,
- more uncomplex ,
- most abcs ,
- most abecedarian ,
- most beginning ,
- most foundational ,
- most primo ,
- most simplex ,
- most uncomplex ,
- preliminary ,
- un complex ,
- un complicated ,
- un-complex ,
- un-complicated ,
- uncomplicated .
- deep seated ,
- deepseated ,
- in born ,
- in bred ,
- in-born ,
- in-bred ,
- more nitty gritty ,
- more nitty-gritty ,
- more nittygritty ,
- most ideal ,
- most nitty gritty ,
- most nitty-gritty ,
- most nittygritty ,
- name game ,
- name the game ,
- nitty-gritty ,
- nittygritty ,
- nubbest .
- Flipped ,
- apest ,
- enraged ,
- feller ,
- fellest ,
- howling ,
- in tense ,
- in tenser ,
- in-tense ,
- in-tenser ,
- in-tensest ,
- more flipped ,
- more howling ,
- more tigerish ,
- most flipped ,
- most howling ,
- most tigerish ,
- murderous ,
- raging ,
- tumultous tumultuous ,
- tumultous-tumultuous ,
- tumultoustumultuous ,
- un controllable ,
- un-controllable ,
- venomous .
- head most ,
- head-most ,
- in augural ,
- in beginning ,
- in-augural ,
- incipient ,
- more ahead ,
- more headmost ,
- more inaugural ,
- more opening ,
- more primogenial ,
- most ahead ,
- most headmost ,
- most inaugural ,
- most opening ,
- most primogenial ,
- right front .
- bottomline ,
- grass roots ,
- grass-roots ,
- grassroots ,
- more axiological ,
- more bottom line ,
- more bottom-line ,
- more bottomline ,
- more grass roots ,
- more grass-roots ,
- more grassroots ,
- more meat and potatoes ,
- more meat-and-potatoes ,
- more substrative ,
- more sustaining ,
- more underived ,
- most axiological ,
- most bottom line ,
- most bottom-line ,
- most bottomline ,
- most fundamental ,
- most grass roots ,
- most grass-roots ,
- most grassroots ,
- most meat and potatoes ,
- most meat-and-potatoes ,
- most substrative ,
- most sustaining ,
- most underived ,
- para mount ,
- para-mount ,
- un derived ,
- un-derived .
- Undesigning ,
- folksy ,
- in artificial ,
- in nocent ,
- in-artificial ,
- in-nocent ,
- laidback ,
- more inartificial ,
- more simplehearted ,
- more unassumed ,
- more uncontrived ,
- more undesigning ,
- more unembarrassed ,
- more unlabored ,
- more up front ,
- more up-front ,
- more upfront ,
- most inartificial ,
- most simplehearted ,
- most unassumed ,
- most uncontrived ,
- most undesigning ,
- most unembarrassed ,
- most unlabored ,
- most up front ,
- most up-front ,
- most upfront ,
- un assumed ,
- un contrived ,
- un designing ,
- un embarrassed ,
- un feigned ,
- un forced ,
- un labored ,
- un schooled ,
- un studied ,
- un worldlier ,
- un worldliest ,
- un worldly ,
- un-assumed ,
- un-contrived ,
- un-designing ,
- un-embarrassed ,
- un-feigned ,
- un-forced ,
- un-labored ,
- un-pretentious ,
- un-schooled ,
- un-studied ,
- un-worldlier ,
- un-worldliest ,
- un-worldly .
- behind times ,
- dis approved ,
- dis-approved ,
- more demoded ,
- more disapproved ,
- more old fangled ,
- more old hat ,
- more old-fangled ,
- more old-hat ,
- more oldhat ,
- more out of style ,
- more out-of-style ,
- more outworn ,
- more unstylish ,
- most demoded ,
- most disapproved ,
- most old fangled ,
- most old hat ,
- most old-fangled ,
- most old-hat ,
- most oldhat ,
- most out of style ,
- most out-of-style ,
- most outworn ,
- most unstylish ,
- of old school ,
- of olden days ,
- old fangled ,
- oldhat ,
- out dated ,
- out it ,
- out style ,
- out worn ,
- out-worn ,
- un stylish ,
- un-stylish ,
- vintage .
- bio logical ,
- bio-logical ,
- more amoebic ,
- more anatomical ,
- more biotic ,
- more cellular ,
- more nuclear ,
- more plasmic ,
- most amoebic ,
- most anatomical ,
- most biotic ,
- most cellular ,
- most nuclear ,
- most plasmic .
- animal ,
- atavistic ,
- childlike ,
- naive ,
- preliterate ,
- pristine ,
- raw ,
- rough ,
- simple ,
- underdeveloped ,
- unevolved ,
- unlearned ,
- unsophisticated ,
- untrained ,
- untutored .
- jerry built ,
- jerrybuilt ,
- more wild and woolly ,
- more wild-and-woolly ,
- most wild and woolly ,
- most wild-and-woolly ,
- pro visional ,
- rough and ready ,
- wild and woolly .
- in a state nature ,
- in state nature ,
- in state of nature ,
- more nonliterate ,
- more unbroken ,
- more unmodified ,
- most nonliterate ,
- most unbroken ,
- most unmodified ,
- non literate ,
- non-literate ,
- un broken ,
- un modified ,
- un spoiled ,
- un-broken ,
- un-modified ,
- un-restrained ,
- un-spoiled ,
- unspoiled .
- dis respectful ,
- dis-respectful ,
- ill bred ,
- mannerless ,
- more ill bred ,
- more ill-bred ,
- more illbred ,
- more mannerless ,
- most ill bred ,
- most ill-bred ,
- most illbred ,
- most mannerless ,
- un civilized ,
- un conscionable ,
- un controlled ,
- un educated ,
- un godlier ,
- un godliest ,
- un godly ,
- un holier ,
- un holiest ,
- un holy ,
- un mannered ,
- un-civilized ,
- un-conscionable ,
- un-controlled ,
- un-educated ,
- un-godlier ,
- un-godliest ,
- un-godly ,
- un-holier ,
- un-holiest ,
- un-holy ,
- un-mannered .
-
n.
-
•
- abstract ,
- aquatint ,
- bas relief ,
- canvas ,
- caricature ,
- cartoon ,
- collage ,
- daub ,
- diptych ,
- doodle .
-
•
- accidental ,
- arbitrary ,
- by accident ,
- coincidental ,
- impromptu ,
- instinctive ,
- involuntary ,
- random ,
- spontaneous ,
- start ,
- unintended .
-
•
- Cro-Magnon man ,
- ammonite ,
- carboniferous ,
- caveman ,
- era ,
- fossil ,
- fossilize ,
- the Cretaceous ,
- the Dreamtime .
- artist ,
- caricaturist ,
- cartoonist ,
- classicist ,
- draftsman ,
- futurist ,
- illustrator ,
- impressionist ,
- the Bloomsbury Group ,
- the avant-garde .
Other synonyms:
- baptist ,
- benighted ,
- cannibalistic ,
- childish ,
- early ,
- elemental ,
- feral ,
- fierce ,
- old fashioned ,
- original ,
- uncultured .
- basic ,
- colonial ,
- elementary ,
- remote ,
- uncultivated ,
- underlying .
- native ,
- ultimate ,
- unpolished .
- backward ,
- commonplace ,
- everyday ,
- knowledge ,
- mundane ,
- nondescript ,
- normal ,
- ordinary ,
- routine ,
- standard ,
- unexceptional ,
- unremarkable .
- culture .
Other relevant words:
- Old World ,
- backward-looking ,
- clunky ,
- date ,
- dated ,
- demode ,
- dowdy ,
- extinct ,
- fossilized ,
- fusty ,
- go out ,
- humble ,
- low-tech ,
- medieval ,
- obsolescence ,
- obsolescent ,
- obsolete ,
- old school ,
- old-hat ,
- old-time ,
- out ,
- passe ,
- provincial ,
- quaint ,
- regressive ,
- retro ,
- square ,
- straitlaced ,
- tweedy ,
- uncool ,
- victorian ,
- whimsical .
- ADLIB ,
- Anthropophagous ,
- Headmost ,
- Inartificial ,
- Plasmic ,
- Primogenial ,
- Rooter ,
- Troglodytic ,
- Unacquired ,
- Unlabored ,
- Unmilled ,
- aboriginal ,
- ad lib ,
- ageold ,
- amoebic ,
- anatomical ,
- antediluvian ,
- antiquarian ,
- aper ,
- archaic ,
- austere ,
- axiological ,
- bare-bones ,
- barebones ,
- being oneself ,
- biotic ,
- bottom-line ,
- brutish ,
- cellular ,
- chthonic ,
- crude ,
- demoded ,
- earliest ,
- first ,
- foundational ,
- grown old ,
- idiopathic ,
- ill-bred ,
- illbred ,
- in a state of nature ,
- in the beginning ,
- in the rough ,
- indigenous ,
- inhumane ,
- laid back ,
- lead off ,
- meat-and-potatoes ,
- name of game ,
- natural ,
- nitty gritty ,
- nonliterate ,
- not current ,
- not modern ,
- not with it ,
- nubber ,
- nuclear ,
- numero uno ,
- of the old school ,
- old ,
- old-fangled ,
- old-fashioned ,
- oldfashioned ,
- organic ,
- out of date ,
- out of it ,
- out of style ,
- out-dated ,
- out-of-style ,
- over-run ,
- prehistoric ,
- prentice ,
- prerevolutionary ,
- primal ,
- primary ,
- primo ,
- radical ,
- right up front ,
- rough-and-ready ,
- rudimentary ,
- rustic ,
- simplehearted ,
- simplex ,
- substrative ,
- thrown together ,
- tigerish ,
- unassumed ,
- uncomplex ,
- uncontrived ,
- underived ,
- undeveloped ,
- undomesticated ,
- unembarrassed ,
- ungraded ,
- unmodified ,
- unproficient ,
- unrefined ,
- unsorted ,
- unstylish ,
- unworked ,
- unwrought ,
- up-front ,
- upfront ,
- wild-and-woolly ,
- wolfish .
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How to use "Primitive" in context?
Primitive societies are those that lack many of the features of more developed societies. These societies typically have more intricate social systems, and their members are usually more mobile, because they live in smaller villages and towns.
Some of the benefits of living in a primitive society are that it is often more sustainable, and it can be more pleasant. There is less pollution, and there is a greater sense of community. Primitive societies also have stronger social bonds, because they are often very close-knit.
There are disadvantages to living in a primitive society, too.
Paraphrases for Primitive:
Paraphrases are highlighted according to their relevancy:
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- medium relevancy
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Equivalence
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Independent
-
Other Related
-
Adjective
crude, improvised, primary, pristine, rustic.
-
Adjective
Hyponym for Primitive:
n.
-
communication
formula, word, expression.
-
communication
Word of the Day
turned-up
- Synonyms:
- dumpy, retrousse, blocky, chubby, podgy, pudgy, pug, retrousse, snub-nosed, squatty.
