Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
-
- [at-uh-vis-tik]
- /ˌæt əˈvɪs tɪk/
- /ˌæt.əˈvɪs.tɪk/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [at-uh-vis-tik]
- /ˌæt əˈvɪs tɪk/
Definitions of atavistic word
- adjective atavistic Atavistic feelings or behaviour seem to be very primitive, like the feelings or behaviour of our earliest ancestors. 3
- adjective atavistic of or relating to atavism 3
- adjective atavistic of, relating to, or characterized by atavism; reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type. 1
- noun atavistic Relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral. 1
- adjective atavistic regressive 1
- adjective atavistic (biology) of the recurrence of a trait reappearing after an absence of one or more generations due to a chance recombination of genes. 0
Information block about the term
Origin of atavistic
First appearance:
before 1870 One of the 26% newest English words
First recorded in 1870-75; atav(ism) + -istic
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Atavistic
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
atavistic popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 79% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
atavistic usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for atavistic
adj atavistic
- simple — easy to understand, deal with, use, etc.: a simple matter; simple tools.
- naive — having or showing unaffected simplicity of nature or absence of artificiality; unsophisticated; ingenuous.
- rudimentary — pertaining to rudiments or first principles; elementary: a rudimentary knowledge of geometry.
- underdeveloped — improperly or insufficiently developed.
- unsophisticated — not sophisticated; simple; artless.
adjective atavistic
- primitive — being the first or earliest of the kind or in existence, especially in an early age of the world: primitive forms of life.
- primeval — of or relating to the first age or ages, especially of the world: primeval forms of life.
- primaeval — of or relating to the first age or ages, especially of the world: primeval forms of life.
- primal — first; original; primeval: primal eras before the appearance of life on earth.
- ancient — Ancient means very old, or having existed for a long time.
Antonyms for atavistic
adj atavistic
- mature — complete in natural growth or development, as plant and animal forms: a mature rose bush.
- developed — If you talk about developed countries or the developed world, you mean the countries or the parts of the world that are wealthy and have many industries.
- civilized — If you describe a society as civilized, you mean that it is advanced and has sensible laws and customs.
- kind — of a good or benevolent nature or disposition, as a person: a kind and loving person.
- polite — showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.; courteous; civil: a polite reply.
adjective atavistic
- civilised — to bring out of a savage, uneducated, or rude state; make civil; elevate in social and private life; enlighten; refine: Rome civilized the barbarians.
Top questions with atavistic
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See also
Matching words
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