primal

adjective

pri·​mal ˈprī-məl How to pronounce primal (audio)
Synonyms of primal
1
: original, primitive
… village life continued in its primal innocence.—Van Wyck Brooks
2
: first in importance : primary

Synonyms of primal

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Examples of primal in a Sentence

the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Animals could offer liberatory models to throw off bourgeois conventions, returning Surrealists to primal ways of being. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Every single song was a pile driver to the head, feeding that primal pleasure of a meaty guitar riff over a heavy drum beat and Johnson’s gritty falsetto. — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026 The film, which co-stars Michelle Monaghan and Michael Keaton, taps into primal fears of the unknown and danger lurking in our own backyards. — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026 The following tracks only get knottier and denser, but Sweeping Promises never stops setting primal immediacy against granular precision and letting the sparks fly. — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primal

Word History

Etymology

probably from prime entry 1 + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of primal was in 1604

Phrases Containing primal

Rhymes for primal

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Browse Nearby Words

primage
primal
primal cut
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Cite this Entry

“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primal. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

primal

adjective
pri·​mal ˈprī-məl How to pronounce primal (audio)
1
: of or relating to the first period or state : primitive
2
: first in importance : basic
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