SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
primitive
adjective
Basic or undeveloped in form or method; also belonging to an early stage of development.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Basic or undeveloped
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPrimitive concerns an early or undeveloped form in this group. Applied to whole peoples or cultures, it can be derogatory and misleading.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See primitive in use
The prototype used a primitive control system that required each movement to be adjusted by hand.
A primitive paper tally recorded each loan with one mark beside a tool name.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license