He was a magnificent atavism, a man so purely primitive that he was of the type that came into the world before the development of the moral nature. He was not immoral, but merely unmoral.
Source: wiktionary
Atavism
/ˈætəˌvɪzəm/
Synonyms for "atavism" (72 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (15)
Noun(2 words)
reversioncultural regression
aboriginalityaffect memoryageancien regimeancientnessanterograde memoryantiquitybacksetbackward deviationcobwebs of antiquitycollective memorycomputer memorydisk memory
Strong matches (21)
drum memorydust of ageseldelderlinesseldershipemotional responseengramfalling backgreat agehoary agehoary eldinformation storageinveteracykinesthetic memorylapsememorymemory bankmemory circuitmemory tracemind
Show 1 more word
Related words (36)
Noun(4 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: reversion, aboriginality, affect memory, age, ancien regime.
- Sentence evidence is available for atavism, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "atavism".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "atavism"
Keep "atavism" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "atavism" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "atavism", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "atavism" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
4 entriesheritage persistenceprimitive traitrecessive traittradition revival
Collocations
5 entriesatavism conceptatavism phenomenonatavism recurrenceatavistic traitgenetic atavism
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesSample sentences
6 total sentences available.
Hence on false premises was built up that belief in spirits or invisible beings outside ourselves, which by some curious atavism was re-emerging in modern days among the less educated strata of mankind.
Source: wiktionary
She had lost the power to care about his faults. Strange, sweet, poisonous indifference! She was drugged. And she knew it. Would she ever wake out of her dark, warm coma? She shuddered, and hoped not. Mrs Tuke would say atavism. Atavism! The word recurred curiously.
Source: wiktionary
Upon the death of Theodoric in 526, Ibidus retired from public life to compose his celebrated work (whose pure Ciceronian style is as remarkable a case of classic atavism as is the verse of Claudius Claudianus, who flourished a century before Ibidus); but he was later recalled to scenes of pomp to act as court rhetorician for Theodatus, nephew of Theodoric.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 6 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "atavism"?
Closest matches include reversion, aboriginality, affect memory, age, ancien regime.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "atavism"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.