primeval
Adjective
Hard difficulty
What does “primeval” mean?
adjective.of or resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world.
SAT Usage
this term often appears in passages about ancient history, natural landscapes, or evolutionary themes. It emphasizes a sense of rawness or untouched quality, suggesting a connection to the fundamental aspects of existence, which distinguishes it from similar words like "ancient," as it implies not just age but a primordial state of being.
Common Confusions
Primeval implies a raw, untouched state from the earliest times, while ancient usually suggests something that is simply very old without the connotation of primal origins.
Do not choose primeval if the context emphasizes modernity or recent developments rather than resembling the earliest ages in the history of the world.
Example Sentences
-
The forest had a primeval stillness undisturbed for centuries.