ˈprɪmɪtɪv adj. & n. --adj. 1
early, ancient; at an early
stage of
civilization (primitive man). 2
undeveloped,
crude,
simple (primitive methods). 3
original,
primary. 4 Gram. & Philol. (of words or language)
radical;
not derivative. 5
Math. (of a line,
figure, etc.)
from which another is derived, from which
some construction begins, etc. 6 (of a colour) primary. 7 Geol. of
the earliest
period. 8 Biol. appearing in the earliest or a
very early stage of
growth or
evolution. --n. 1 a a painter of the period
before the
Renaissance. b a
modern imitator of
such. c an
untutored painter
with a
direct naìve style. d a
picture by such a painter. 2 a primitive
word, line, etc. øthe Primitive
Church the
Christian Church in
its earliest times. øøprimitively adv. primitiveness n. [ME f. OF primitif
-ive or L primitivus
first of its kind f. primitus in the first
place f.
primus first]