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Atavistic: meaning, definitions and examples

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atavistic

 

[ ˌætəˈvɪstɪk ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

in biology

Relating to or characterized by atavism; reverting to an earlier type or ancestral trait.

Synonyms

ancestral, primitive, retrogressive, throwback

Examples of usage

  • The atavistic behavior displayed by the rare albino gorilla fascinated scientists.
  • She had an atavistic fear of the dark, a primal instinct she couldn't shake.
  • The atavistic features in the ancient breed of horses amazed the researchers.
  • His atavistic instincts kicked in when he found himself in a survival situation.
  • The atavistic tendencies in the species were a subject of evolutionary study.

Translations

Translations of the word "atavistic" in other languages:

🇵🇹 atavístico

🇮🇳 आदिमता

🇩🇪 atavistisch

🇮🇩 atavistik

🇺🇦 атавістичний

🇵🇱 atwistyczny

🇯🇵 先祖返り的 (せんぞがえりてき)

🇫🇷 atavique

🇪🇸 atavístico

🇹🇷 atavistik

🇰🇷 태고적 (taegojeok)

🇸🇦 سلفي

🇨🇿 atavistický

🇸🇰 atavistický

🇨🇳 返祖的 (fǎnzǔ de)

🇸🇮 atavističen

🇮🇸 fornleifafræðilegur

🇰🇿 атавистік

🇬🇪 ატავისტური

🇦🇿 atavistik

🇲🇽 atavístico

Word origin

The word atavistic originated from the Latin word 'atavus', meaning ancestor. It was first used in the mid-19th century to describe the reversion to an earlier ancestral type or trait. The concept of atavism has been studied in biology and psychology to understand the recurrence of ancestral characteristics in individuals. It reflects the idea of evolution and the persistence of genetic traits over generations. The term atavistic is commonly used in scientific contexts to describe the manifestation of ancient traits in modern organisms.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #31,004 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.