PRIMAL Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

primal

adjective

ˈprī-məl

Definition of primal

as in main

coming before all others in importance the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in ancient

relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of primal Dance movies marvelously translate primal emotions into motion, the human body becoming a supple instrument deftly communicating the pain, ecstasy and confusion of being alive. — Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026 These are primal thrills most viewers can get behind, and having to slow down to explain the morality behind them makes for languid viewing. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 21 Sep. 2026 And the vindaloo sauce, ruddy and rustic, slowly unfolds with intellectual complexity before delivering a primal punch. — Louisa Kung Liu Chu, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026 For me, slasher films at their very essence are simple and primal. — William Earl, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for primal

Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal

Adjective

The kingdom partially resumed operations at its main airport on Sunday despite damage from earlier attacks, even as the Houthis threatened further strikes.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026
The project will also improve sewer main capacity by upsizing a parallel line.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of main

Adjective

Even the climbing-vine wallpaper is yellowed, as if gradually discolored by the cigarettes of a thousand ancient Sundays.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
Madrid sits on an ancient migration route that has always been part of a vast grid of farming paths covering the Iberian Peninsula.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancient

Adjective

The Heat used Larsson, Portis, Hardaway and Nikola Jovic as its four primary reserves for the third straight game to start the season.

— Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
One thing most agree on is that the diminishment of competitive seats leads to greater polarization because legislators are only beholden to primary voters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of primary

Adjective

American consumers deserved bargains on digital watches, pocket calculators, and primitive computers.

— Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Working with the era's primitive technology, Margaret thought through the various mishaps that could occur on a spaceflight and designed the software to handle every contingency.

— Dean Robbins, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of primitive

Adjective

What readers are saying The conversation explores the complex dynamics between small-scale and industrial agriculture, with a predominant focus on the challenges and implications of each approach.

— Tamar Haspel, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026
The predominant method entails producers sealing off the vents, which causes temperatures to rise and slowly subject the birds to death via heatstroke.

— Kenny Torrella, Vox, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of predominant

Adjective

The work required felling primeval trees measuring six feet in diameter and digging a deep trench through the marsh to accommodate boat traffic.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Apr. 2026
Yeti takes place deep in the Alps, where an avalanche has unleashed something primeval from the glacial ice.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 6 Mar. 2026

Definition of primeval

Adjective

The shift signals a turning point for the left, which has historically struggled to counter the far-right’s dominant online presence and savvy digital strategy.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
And, like its former parent, higher fuel costs will be a dominant theme throughout the report.

— Kevin Stankiewicz,Zev Fima, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of dominant

Adjective

For the dodo, the researchers will first harvest primordial germ cells (PGCs)—nascent cells that give rise to eggs and sperm—from the nicobar pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.

— Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 14 Oct. 2026
This would have been a primordial black hole (PBH), a hypothesized object formed in the universe’s earliest moments.

— Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of primordial

Browse Nearby Words

prima facie

primal

primarily

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of primal

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes