adj
primal
PREYE-muhl
adj
1
Existing from the earliest times; original or fundamental.
"The documentary explored humanity's primal fear of the dark."
"There's a primal instinct that makes us flinch at loud noises."
How to Use Primal
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishRelating to our most basic, original instincts or to the very earliest stage of something.
Common pairings
primal instinct
primal fear
primal urge
Word Forms
primaled past tense, primalled past tense, primals plural, primals singular
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The documentary explored humanity's _____ fear of the dark.
Etymology
From Latin prīmus ("first") combined with the adjective suffix -al.