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primitif

primitive, primeval

adjective pree-mee-TEEF Rare
Descriptions & Qualities Personality

Origin: Latin primitivus (first of its kind)

Also means

primitive (person) — unsophisticated

Usage Note

Primitif can describe early human societies (les hommes primitifs) or be used informally to call someone unsophisticated or brutish — a mildly derogatory use. The feminine form is primitive. In art history, les Primitifs flamands refers to the Early Netherlandish painters.

Examples

"Ces outils semblent très primitifs."

Natural Translation

These tools seem very primitive.

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