adj · noun · 24 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈpɹɪmɪtɪv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɪmɪtɪv
CMU ARPABET:P R IH1 M AH0 T IH0 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:P R IH1 M IH0 T IH0 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
From Middle English primitif, from Old French primitif, from Latin prīmitīvus (“first or earliest of its kind”), from prīmus (“first”); see prime. Doublet of primitivo.
Across languages
Translations
43 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
بدائي
(bidaʔiyy)
— old-fashioned; characterized by simplicity
Esperanto:
primitiva
— old-fashioned; characterized by simplicity
Polish:
prymitywny
— old-fashioned; characterized by simplicity
Finnish:
kantasana
— linguistics: word not derived from another
French:
primitif
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Wortstamm & Stamm
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Stammwort
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Urwort
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
ursprüngliches Wort
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Wurzelwort
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Wortwurzel & Wurzel
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Primitivum
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Radicalwort
— linguistics: word not derived from another
German:
Radix
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Italian:
primitivo
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Latin:
primitivum
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Latin:
vocabulum primitivum
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Latin:
vox primitiva
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Latin:
radix
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Russian:
примити́в
(primitív)
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Spanish:
primitivo
— linguistics: word not derived from another
Chinese Mandarin:
原始人
(yuánshǐrén)
— member from a primitive society
Finnish:
alkukantainen ihminen
— member from a primitive society
French:
primitif
— member from a primitive society
French:
primitive
— member from a primitive society
Greek:
πρωτόγονος
(protógonos)
— member from a primitive society
Italian:
primitivo
— member from a primitive society
Portuguese:
primitivo
— member from a primitive society
Russian:
первобы́тный челове́к
(pervobýtnyj čelovék)
— member from a primitive society
Turkish:
ilkel insan
— member from a primitive society
Bulgarian:
примитив
(primitiv)
— simple-minded person
Finnish:
yksinkertainen ihminen
— simple-minded person
Italian:
primitivo
— simple-minded person
Portuguese:
primitivo
— simple-minded person
Finnish:
primitiivi
— computing: data type
Finnish:
perustietotyyppi
— computing: data type
French:
primitive
— computing: data type
Greek:
αρχέγονος
(archégonos)
— computing: data type
Greek:
αρχέγονος τύπος δεδομένων
(archégonos týpos dedoménon)
— computing: data type
Polish:
prymityw
— computing: data type
Portuguese:
primitiva
— computing: data type
Russian:
примити́в
(primitív)
— computing: data type
Esperanto:
primitiva komando
— computing: simplest elements