Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
primal (adjective)1.
- original primitive village life continued in its primal innocence Van Wyck Brooks
2.
first in importance - primary
Merriam-Webster Online Thesaurus
primal (adjective)1.
coming before all others in importance
SYNONYMS:
arch, big, capital, cardinal, central, chief, dominant, first, grand, great, greatest, highest, key, leading, main, master, number one ( No. 1), numero uno, overbearing, overmastering, overriding, paramount, predominant, preeminent, premier, primal, primary, principal, prior, sovereign ( sovran), supremeRELATED WORDS:
distinguished, eminent, illustrious, noble, notable, noteworthy, outstanding, prestigious, signal, star, stellar, superior; high-level, senior, top; important, influential, major, mighty, momentous, significant; incomparable, matchless, unequaled ( unequalled), unparalleled, unsurpassed; celebrated, famed, famous, renownedNEAR ANTONYMS:
inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, minor, negligible, slight, trifling, trivial, unimportant; collateral, inferior, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary2.
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
SYNONYMS:
ancient, primal, primeval, primitive, primordialRELATED WORDS:
budding, embryonic, germinal, infant; aged, age-old, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, dateless, hoary, old, prehistoric ( prehistorical); obsolete, outmoded, out-of-date, passéNEAR ANTONYMS:
advanced, complex, developed, evolved, high, higher; full-blown, full-fledged, full-scale
Primal (Wiktionary)
English
Etymology
Probably partly from Medieval Latin prīmālis, from Latin prīmus (“first”) + -ālis, and partly from prime + -al.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈpɹaɪməl/
- Rhymes: -aɪməl
Adjective
primal (not comparable)
- Being the first in time or in history.
- Of greatest importance; primary.
- (meat trade) Being one of the pieces of meat initially separated from the carcass during butchering, prior to division into smaller cuts.
Principal, Core, Foundational, Initial, Vital