primeval

primeval Definition

pri·me·val (prī mē′vəl)

adjective

of the earliest times or ages; primal; primordial primeval forests

Etymology: < L primaevus (< primus, first: see prime + aevum, an age) + -al

primeval Synonyms

modif.

ancient, primitive, primal, prehistoric; see old 3.

primeval Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

soup: Cinema, they said, is " the primeval soup of a new life form.
forest: Some of these primeval tropical rain forests are among the oldest existing in the world, with a history of millions of years!
mound: The primeval mound was the focal point of creation.
instinct: Incredibly, the little girl was fighting with all her primeval instincts to reach the surface.
urge: This may be a primeval urge or simply an expression of the joy of being alive.
revelation: The religion of Babylon is clear evidence of such a primeval revelation.

Used with adjective complement

look: From the shore the birds looked primeval, being long, black and quite large.

primeval Quotes

From primeval ooze to the stars, we killed anything that stood in our way, including each other.

—Vidal, Gore originally Eugene Luther Vidal,Jr

This is the forest primeval.

—Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth

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