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atavistic

Pronunciation: /ˌatəˈvɪstɪk/
Translate atavistic | into Italian
Definition of atavistic

adjective

  • relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancient or ancestral:atavistic fears and instincts

Derivatives

atavism

Pronunciation: /ˈatəvɪz(ə)m/
noun

atavistically

Pronunciation: /-ˈvɪstɪk(ə)li/
adverb

Origin:

late 19th century: based on Latin atavus 'forefather' + the adjectival suffix -istic

atavistic in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of atavistic in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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