primeval

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. adjective having existed from the beginning; in an earliest or original stage or state

Etymology

From Latin primaevus (“in the first or earliest period of life”) + -al, from primus (“first”) + aevum (“time, age”); see prime and age.

In classic literature

Synonyms

aboriginal, primal, primaeval, primordial

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading