primeval

American

[prahy-mee-vuhl] / praɪˈmi vəl /

Or primaeval

adjective

of or relating to the first age or ages, especially of the world.

primeval forms of life.

Synonyms:

pristine, primordial, primary

primeval British

/ praɪˈmiːvəl /

adjective

of or belonging to the first age or ages, esp of the world

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See prime.

Other Word Forms

primevally adverb

Etymology

Origin of primeval

First recorded in 1765–75; from Latin prīmaev(us) “young” ( prīm(us) prime + aev(um) age + -us adjective suffix) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

With a single, in-block cam, one timing chain and two valves per cylinder, Godzilla is so primitive it’s practically primeval.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Both are made of the same primeval matter, and both are the same age and size.

From New York Times • May 27, 2024

For example, how much primeval forest has been cleared for an agricultural product or how the land was previously used.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2024

Such modern intermediates might have been the end product for primeval eukaryotes.

From Scientific American • Jun. 13, 2023

Of course the Greeks too had their roots in the primeval slime.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023