The meaning of PRIMITIVE is not derived : original, primary. How to use primitive in a sentence.

PRIMITIVE definition: being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence, especially in an early age of the world. See examples of primitive used in a sentence.

/ ˈprɪm·ɪ·t̬ɪv / Add to word list of or typical of an early stage of development; not advanced or complicated in structure: primitive art / tools

Of or relating to a nonindustrial, often tribal culture, especially one that is characterized by an absence of literacy and a low level of economic or technological complexity: primitive societies.

1 primitive / ˈ prɪmətɪv/ adjective Britannica Dictionary definition of PRIMITIVE [more primitive; most primitive] 1 : of, belonging to, or seeming to come from an early time in the very ancient past

If you describe something as primitive, you mean that it is very simple in style or very old-fashioned. The conditions are primitive by any standards. The primitive surgery of those days left him virtually deaf in …

Definition of primitive adjective in Oxford Advanced American Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Factsheet What does the word primitive mean? There are 39 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word primitive, nine of which are labelled obsolete, and one of which is considered derogatory. See …

Feb 25, 2026 · primitive (comparative more primitive, superlative most primitive) Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first.

Of or relating to an early or original stage or state; primeval. Life in the primitive ocean.