Primordial

hard

pry-MOR-dee-ul

adjective

Definition

Existing at or from the beginning of time; primeval

Examples

The primordial forces shaped the early universe.
Scientists studied the primordial soup that gave rise to life.

Synonyms

primevalancientaboriginalpristine

Antonyms

moderncontemporaryrecentnew

Categories

GRE Tip

Primordial is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "primeval" or "ancient" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "modern".

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