[prim.i.tive] adj [ME primitif, fr. L primitivus first formed, fr. primitiae first fruits, fr. primus first--more at prime] (14c) 1 a: not derived: original, primary b: assumed as a basis; esp: axiomatic "~ concepts"
2. a: of or relating to the earliest age or period: primeval "the ~ church" b: closely approximating an early ancestral type: little evolved "~ mammals" c: belonging to or characteristic of an early stage of development: crude, rudimentary "~ technology" d: of, relating to, or constituting the assumed parent speech of related languages "~ Germanic" 3 a: elemental, natural "our ~ feelings of vengeance --John Mackwood" b: of, relating to, or produced by a people or culture that is nonindustrial and often nonliterate and tribal "~ art" c: naive d (1): self-taught, untutored "~ craftsmen" (2): produced by a self-taught artist "a ~ painting" -- prim.i.tive.ly adv -- prim.i.tive.ness n -- prim.i.tiv.i.ty n
[2]primitive n (15c) 1 a: something primitive; specif: a primitive idea, term, or proposition b: a root word
2. a (1): an artist of an early period of a culture or artistic movement (2): a later imitator or follower of such an artist b (1): a self-taught artist (2): an artist whose work is marked by directness and naivete c: a work of art produced by a primitive artist d: a typically rough or simple usu. handmade and antique home accessory or furnishing 3 a: a member of a primitive people b: an unsophisticated person