Webster's English Dictionary

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primitive

1. prim.i.tive \'prim-*t-iv\ aj [ME primitif, fr. L primitivus, fr. 
   primitus originally, fr.]primus first - more at PRIME 1a: not derived : 
   ORIGINAL, PRIMARY  1b: assumed as a basis; esp : AXIOMATIC  2a: of or 
   relating to the earliest age or period : PRIMEVAL  2b: little evolved and 
   closely approximating an early ancestral type : (MARCHAIC 2c: belonging to 
   or characteristic of an early stage of development : MRUDIMENTARY 2d: of, 
   relating to, or constituting the assumed parent speech of related  
   languages {~ Germanic} 3a: ELEMENTAL, NATURAL  3b: of or relating to a 
   relatively simple people or culture  3c: NAI E  3d1: SELF-TAUGHT, UNTUTORED 
    3d2: produced by a self-taught artist  - prim.i.tive.ly av
2. primitive n 1a: something primitive; specif : a primitive idea, term, or 
   propos ition 1b: a root word  2a1: an artist of an early period of a 
   culture or artistic movement  2a2: a later imitator or follower of such an 
   artist  2b1: a self-taught artist  2b2: an artist whose work is marked by 
   directness and naivete  2c: a work of art produced by a primitive artist  
   3a: a member of a primitive people  3b: an unsophisticated person