adj original; primary; radical; not derived; as, primitive verb in grammar.
2. primitive ·noun an original or primary word; a word not derived from another;
opposed to derivative.
3. primitive ·adj of or pertaining to a former time; old-fashioned; characterized by simplicity; as, a primitive style of dress.
4. primitive ·adj of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first; as, primitive innocence; the primitive church.