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
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Recent Examples of atavistic
To dismiss animism as ignorant, superstitious, or atavistic is to partake in modern parochialism, and this serves the interests of those who, like the tree’s killers, delight in destroying life.
—
Colin Cepuran, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Safdie perceptively locates the protagonist’s troubling inner contradictions—the atavistic fury that drives him to compete and the intense self-control that competition demands—but dramatizes such outer crises as opioid addiction and conflict with his girlfriend (Emily Blunt) only schematically.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Rather than conjuring a mood of bracing inexorability, this linear focus only suffocates what might be an interesting debate, as a man of the modern world weighs his values against those of a woman raised in atavistic isolation.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Colin Cepuran, Harpers Magazine, 24 Feb. 2026
Safdie perceptively locates the protagonist’s troubling inner contradictions—the atavistic fury that drives him to compete and the intense self-control that competition demands—but dramatizes such outer crises as opioid addiction and conflict with his girlfriend (Emily Blunt) only schematically.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Rather than conjuring a mood of bracing inexorability, this linear focus only suffocates what might be an interesting debate, as a man of the modern world weighs his values against those of a woman raised in atavistic isolation.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
The experts think fiat money is mature and serious and the gold standard cranky, weird, and atavistic.
—Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for atavistic
Adjective
-
The Harbin individual yielded a similar number, and a few earlier studies had obtained data from individuals elsewhere, including a Denisovan from near Taiwan and an archaic human from Spain.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
The girls, playing an archaic six-player game with three on each side of midcourt, defeated West Crisp of Cordele 40-27 a week earlier.—
Todd Holcomb,
AJC.com,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
His work, including the 2018 novel Mannelig in Chains (again available in English), is particularly relevant for its focus on historical memory, which speaks to the heart of Russian propaganda around the war in Ukraine.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The paragraphs in question are summarizing the historical background or context of the stories, with some instances containing the same 30 words in a row, or near identical passages with a word or phrase slightly tweaked.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
17 May 2026
Adjective
-
This recently renovated trullo set in the heart of the Itria Valley reads both modern and strikingly old-world.—
Angela Tafoya,
Vogue,
18 May 2026
-
Through her content, Muller showcases the transformation of her 1928 Brooklyn apartment, where there's no shortage of old-world French color inspiration.—
Eleni N. Gage,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Today, some of the most beloved musicals of the American theater can sometimes seem outmoded and vaguely inappropriate, since society’s standards have changed radically in the last 60 years.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
-
But then, the fear that AI could render swaths of the software trade outmoded moved a wave of the savings-for-retirement crowd to demand their money back.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Every scene is shot on location, the soundtrack is wall-to-wall bangers, and the cast is perfect with a few key roles filled by actors in their bygone prime and maybe one or two from beyond the grave.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Farmers markets — that humble and charming throwback to a bygone era — are also struggling with higher fuel prices, after weathering the economic calamities of the pandemic and other misfortunes.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
Great hordes of prehistoric-looking horseshoe crabs also are coming in to spawn.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
-
And intriguing earthen mounds, built by prehistoric Native Americans more than 1,000 years ago, dot Greenwood Village interpretive site.—
Robert Annis,
Midwest Living,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
New York’s antiquated assessment system values properties far below their market value and leaves a small number of apartments valued at $5 million or more.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
11 May 2026
-
Though Jordan and Tammy had raised their biological twins since they were born — and had the full support of their surrogate — they were required by antiquated state law to adopt their own babies.—
Sam Gillette,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
This historic settlement reflects an institutional and fundamental cultural shift away from radical ‘gender’ ideology.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
-
Not only is Benyamin’s graduation historic for the university, but his educational accomplishments are rare.—
Allison Kiehl,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Atavistic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/atavistic. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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