Synonyms for primal
ˈpraɪ məlpri·mal

WiktionaryRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primaladjective

   Synonyms:
   primaeval, primordial, primary, primeval, aboriginal

2. primaladjective

   Being the first in time, or history.

   primal man

   Synonyms:
   aboriginal, primary, primordial, primaeval, primeval

3. primaladjective

   Being of greatest importance; primary.

   Synonyms:
   aboriginal, primeval, primaeval, primary, primordial

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. primal

   Aboriginal (Latin ab, from, origo, origin) signifies pertaining to the aborigines or earliest known inhabitants of a country in the widest sense, including not merely human beings but inferior animals and plants as well. Autochthonic (Greek autos, self, and chthōn, earth) signifies sprung from the earth, especially from the soil of one's native land. Primeval (Latin primum, first, and ævum, age), signifies strictly belonging to the first ages, earliest in time, but often only the earliest of which man knows or conceives, immemorial. Aboriginal, autochthonic, and primeval combine the meanings of ancient and original; aboriginal inhabitants, autochthonic races, primeval forests. Prime and primary may signify either first in time, or more frequently first in importance; primary has also the sense of elementary or preparatory; we speak of a prime minister, a primary school. Primal is chiefly poetic, in the sense of prime; as, the primal curse. Primordial is first in an order of succession or development; as, a primordial leaf. Primitive frequently signifies having the original characteristics of that which it represents, as well as standing first in time; as, the primitive church. Primitive also very frequently signifies having the original or early characteristics without remoteness in time. Primeval simplicity is the simplicity of the earliest ages; primitive simplicity may be found in retired villages now. Pristine is an elegant word, used almost exclusively in a good sense of that which is original and perhaps ancient; as, pristine purity, innocence, vigor. That which is both an original and natural product of a soil or country is said to be indigenous; that which is actually produced there is said to be native, though it may be of foreign extraction; humming-birds are indigenous to America; canaries may be native, but are not indigenous. Immemorial refers solely to time, independently of quality, denoting, in legal phrase, "that whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary;" as, an immemorial custom; an immemorial abuse. Compare OLD.

   Compare synonyms for NEW.

   Synonyms:
   aboriginal, ancient, autochthonic, immemorial, indigenous, native, old, original, patriarchal, primary, prime, primeval, primitive, primordial, pristine, uncreated

   Antonyms:
   adventitious, exotic, foreign, fresh, late, modern, new, novel, recent

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. cardinal, central, fundamental, key, primaladjective

   serving as an essential component

   "a cardinal rule"; "the central cause of the problem"; "an example that was fundamental to the argument"; "computers are fundamental to modern industrial structure"

   Synonyms:
   fundamental, primeval, primordial, key, profound, cardinal, underlying, central, rudimentary, aboriginal, primaeval

   Antonyms:
   middle, unimportant, late

2. aboriginal, primal, primeval, primaeval, primordialadjective

   having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state

   "aboriginal forests"; "primal eras before the appearance of life on earth"; "the forest primeval"; "primordial matter"; "primordial forms of life"

   Synonyms:
   fundamental, primordial, primeval, native, aboriginal, cardinal, central, primaeval, key

   Antonyms:
   late, unimportant, middle

Editors ContributionRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. animal-like

   Submitted by anonymous on December 22, 2019  

2. animal-like

   as in grunt, moan, scream

   the man let out a primal scream

   Submitted by JP03 on October 27, 2014  

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "primal":

   primitive, piece, muscle

How to pronounce primal?

How to say primal in sign language?

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use primal in a sentence?

1. Tommy Curry:

   Black men are always perceived as being taller, more aggressive, or violent, more prone to conflict, more athletic than they actually are, and it's those social perceptions that have been linked to forms of dehumanization -- likening them to apes, sorts of primal beasts and animals -- that fit into how we think of Black men, both as athletes and as kind of super predators, as superhuman.

2. I Ching:

   Creativity comes from awakening and directing men's higher natures, which originate in the primal depths of the universe and are appointed by Heaven.

3. William Shakespeare:

   O, my offence is rank, it smells to heaven It hath the primal eldest curse upon 't, A brother's murder.

4. Ramana Pemmaraju:

   Since eternity, mankind has denied what was to be deeply understood and transformed, all the emotions that were primal in one's progress in higher consciousness, was subjugated, condemned so deeply that we are still struck with basic human body, making it impossible to transcend towards self-realization. All forms of art are just devices to go within, from outer to inner journey.”

5. Reza Behrouz:

   Hossein Soodmand represented what would ideally be a secular Iranian society wherein people could freely practice their faith. A free, secular society is the regimes primal fear.