atavistic
Reverting to ancestors
Atavistic describes traits, behaviors, or impulses that seem to come from distant ancestors rather than modern life—a throwback to earlier evolutionary stages.
The word often characterizes primitive or primal urges: an atavistic fear of the dark, atavistic violence.
It carries a slightly clinical or intellectual tone, suggesting something deep and uncivilized lurking beneath the surface of contemporary existence.
Return to ancestral type
- vestigialReduced, without current function
- recessiveMasked unless paired identically
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- phenotypeObservable characteristics of organism
heredity · inheritance · chromosomal · genomic · DNA · evolutionary · regression · reversion
Extreme, violent cruelty
- brutishnessCrude, animal-like cruelty
- animalisticResembling brute nature
- untamedNot domesticated
- wildnessUntamed, uncontrolled state
rawness · uncontrolled · barbarism · violence · beastly · uncivilized · regressive · devolution
First in origin
- fight-or-flightAcute threat reaction
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- territorialityDefense of claimed space
- aggressionHostile or attacking behavior
fear · impulse · reflexes · innate · visceral · maternal · foraging · hunger
Prehistoric cave-dwelling human
- paleolithicEarliest tool-making period
- archaicBelonging to earlier times
- primordialExisting from the start
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
tribal · ancient · antediluvian · hunter-gatherer · bronze age · savage · barbaric · uncivilized
throwback
Return to ancestral type
- vestigialReduced, without current function
- recessiveMasked unless paired identically
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
phenotype · heredity · inheritance · chromosomal · genomic · DNA · evolutionary · regression · reversion · trait
savagery
Extreme, violent cruelty
- brutishnessCrude, animal-like cruelty
- animalisticResembling brute nature
- untamedNot domesticated
wildness · rawness · uncontrolled · barbarism · violence · beastly · uncivilized · regressive · devolution · base instincts
primal
First in origin
- fight-or-flightAcute threat reaction
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- territorialityDefense of claimed space
aggression · fear · impulse · reflexes · innate · visceral · maternal · foraging · hunger · dominance
caveman
Prehistoric cave-dwelling human
- paleolithicEarliest tool-making period
- archaicBelonging to earlier times
- primordialExisting from the start
prehistoric · tribal · ancient · antediluvian · hunter-gatherer · bronze age · savage · barbaric · uncivilized · feral
lineage
Descent from progenitors
- forebearsAncestral family members
- progenitorsOriginal ancestors of a lineage
- ancestorsThose from whom one descends
bloodline · heritage · genealogy · descent · clan · tribe · roots · origin · kinship · legacy
atavisticprogressive
Favoring reform and innovation
evolved · modern · advanced · contemporary · forward-looking
atavisticcivilized
Socially developed and refined
refined · sophisticated · cultivated · enlightened · polished