Dictionary

atavistic en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /æt.əˈvɪs.tɪk/ (UK, US)
• (US) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin at- Proto-Indo-European *h₂éwh₂os Latin avus Latin atavus Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)bor. Latin -ismusbor. French -isme French atavismebor. English atavism ▲ Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Hellenic *-tās Ancient Greek -τής (-tḗs) Ancient Greek -ῐστής (-ĭstḗs)bor. Latin -istader. Old French -istebor. Middle English -ist English -ist Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English -istic English atavistic From atavism + -istic.

Meanings

1. Of the recurrence of a trait reappearing after an absence of one or more generations due to a chance recombination of genes.
   • Reactivation of a dormant atavistic gene could account for the abnormal costocoracoid ligament in humans. 2006, Roger E Stevenson, Judith G Hall, Human malformations and related anomalies:
   • Thus the gene which produced atavistic digits in the vigorous heterozygous pentadactyl condition is a lethal monster in the homozygous condition. 1946, Reginald Ruggles Gates, Human genetics:
   • Although the heterozygote gives it an atavistic appearance, the gene is not atavistic. 1889, “Experiment Station Record”, in U.S, Office of Experiment Stations:
2. Of a throwback or exhibiting primitivism.
   • Because I am atavistic enough to believe that drawing is the basic language of the illustrator, even as words comprise the basic language of the writer… 2000, Steven Heller, Marshall Arisman, The education of an illustrator:
   • The true perversion took place only in the privacy of her mind — the way she imagined an atavistic macho atop her when engaged in a mandatory contribution to the fetus-banks with some cretinous inept breeder… 1979, Norman Spinrad, A world between:
   • They made me feel that I was alive in the nineteenth century, a sort of atavistic remnant, a romantic shred […] 1934, Henry Miller, Tropic of Cancer, Grove Press, published 1961:
3. Relating to earlier, more primitive behavior that returns after an absence.

Forms

Deriveds

nonatavistic · atavistically

Relateds

atavism · atavist

Synonyms

atavistical · atavistical · atavistical

Translations (54)

ru атависти́ческий (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · cmn 返祖現象的 /返祖现象的 (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · da atavistisk (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · gl atávico (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · tl mapanauli (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · de atavistisch (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · vo taavistik (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · vo taavistik (of a throwback) · gl atávico (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · pl atawistyczny (of a throwback) · tl mapanauli (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · fi takautuva (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · de atavistisch (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · tl mapanauli (of a throwback) · pt atávico (of a throwback) · no atavistisk (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · ko 격세 유전적인 (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · de atavistisch (of a throwback) · it atavico (of a throwback) · gv aaghooghyssagh (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · fi atavistinen (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · ca atàvic (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · nl atavistisch (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · pl atawistyczny (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · es atávico (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · fr atavique (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · pt atavístico (of a throwback) · pl atawistyczny (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · gv aaghooghyssagh (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · fi alkukantainen (of a throwback) · pt atavístico (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · pt atávico (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · es atávico (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · nl atavistisch (of a throwback) · ro atavic (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · vo taavistik (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · bg атавистичен (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · ru атависти́ческий (of a throwback) · pt atavístico (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · nl atavistisch (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · fi atavistinen (of a throwback) · cmn 原始的 (of a throwback) · it atavico (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · fr atavique (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · pt atávico (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · fi atavistinen (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · gl atávico (of a throwback) · fr atavique (of a throwback) · it atavico (of the return of earlier, more primitive behavior) · ru атависти́ческий (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · cmn 隔代遺傳的 /隔代遗传的 (biology: of the recurrence of a trait after an absence of generations) · es atávico (of a throwback) · da atavistisk (of a throwback) · gv aaghooghyssagh (of a throwback)