atavistic

Meaning

Adjective

• of the recurrence of a trait reappearing after an absence of one or more generations due to a chance recombination of genes.
• of a throwback or exhibiting primitivism.
• relating to earlier, more primitive behavior that returns after an absence.

Related

Similar words

• atavistical

Origin

• From atavism + -istic, from French atavisme, from Latin atavus, from at + avus.