atavist

noun

an organism that has the characteristics of a more primitive type of that organism

Roots

atavusatav- · Latin · forefather, ancestor istes-ist · Greek · one characterized by

Synonyms & related words for atavist

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Words related to atavist

Explore words related to atavist — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include throwback, atavistic, atavistically, atavism, primitivistic, primeval, primitivity, primitivism. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Where does atavist come from?

The word atavist breaks down into 2 roots of Latin and Greek origin: atav, from Latin atavus (“forefather, ancestor”); and -ist, from Greek istes (“one characterized by”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.