Definition & Meaning of "atavistic"in English

atavistic

showing traits or behaviors that resemble those of distant ancestors, often primitive or ancient in nature

Grammatical Information

Composition

Compound

qualitative

Superlative

most atavistic

Comparative

more atavistic

gradable

domain

biology, behavior, evolution

Examples

His sudden aggression was an atavistic throwback to humanity's primal instincts.

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Lexical Tree

atavistic

atavist

atav

Nearby Words