prim·i·tive / ˈprimətiv/ • adj. 1. relating to, denoting, or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something: primitive mammals a name corrupted from primitive German. ∎  relating to or denoting a preliterate, nonindustrial society or culture characterized by simple social and economic organization: primitive people. ∎  having a quality or style that offers an extremely basic level of comfort, convenience, or efficiency: the accommodations at the camp were a bit primitive. ∎  (of behavior, thought, or emotion) apparently originating in unconscious needs or desires and unaffected by objective reasoning: the primitive responses we share with many animals. ∎  of or denoting a simple, direct style of art that deliberately rejects sophisticated artistic techniques.2. not developed or derived from anything else: the primitive material of the universe. ∎  Linguistics denoting a word, base, or root from which another is historically derived. ∎ Linguistics denoting an irreducible form. ∎  Math. (of an algebraic or geometric expression) from which another is derived, or which is not itself derived from another.3. Biol. (of a part or structure) in the first or early stage of formation or growth; rudimentary. See also primitive streak.• n. 1. a person belonging to a preliterate, nonindustrial society or culture.2. a pre-Renaissance painter. ∎  a modern painter who imitates the pre-Renaissance style. ∎  an artist employing a simple, naive style that deliberately rejects subtlety or conventional techniques. ∎  a painting by a primitive artist, or an object in a primitive style.3. Linguistics a word, base, or root from which another is historically derived. ∎ Linguistics an irreducible form. ∎  Math. an algebraic or geometric expression from which another is derived; a curve of which another is the polar or reciprocal. ∎  Comput. a simple operation or procedure of a limited set from which complex operations or procedures may be constructed, esp. a simple geometric shape that may be generated in computer graphics by such an operation or procedure.DERIVATIVES: prim·i·tive·ly adv.prim·i·tive·ness n.prim·i·tiv·i·ty / ˌpriməˈtivətē/ n.