atavism

noun

at·a·vism | \ ˈa-tə-ˌvi-zəm

Definition of atavism

1a : recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination

b : recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity architectural atavism

2 : an individual or character that manifests atavism : throwback He was a magnificent atavism, a man so purely primitive that he was of the type that came into the world before the development of the moral nature.— Jack London

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Did You Know?

Atavism derives via French from Latin atavus, meaning "ancestor." Avus in Latin means "grandfather," and it's believed that the at is related to atta, a word for "daddy." Atavism is a term rooted in evolutionary study, referring to instances when an organism possesses traits closer to a more remote ancestor, rather than its own parents. That sense dates to the early part of the 19th century. The word's figurative sense is a more recent development. These days one might describe a building that looks like it's from an earlier era as an atavism, or (though some people might cringe at this) apply the word to activities like reading actual paper books in the age of electronics.

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Because the United States has proved successful in absorbing people from so many different backgrounds, the American political elite has, since the mid-20th century at least, tended to look on group identity as a kind of irrational atavism. — Park Macdougald, Daily Intelligencer, "Can America’s Two Tribes Learn to Live Together?," 19 Apr. 2018 Any account of the new American atavism has to take into account that the same system that produced Trump had immediately before given us the eight forward-looking years of Obama, who remains a far more popular figure than his successor. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, "Are Liberals on the Wrong Side of History?," 20 Mar. 2017

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More Definitions for atavism

atavism

noun

at·a·vism | \ ˈat-ə-ˌviz-əm

Medical Definition of atavism

1 : recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination

2 : an individual or character manifesting atavism : throwback

Other Words from atavism

atavistic \ ˌat-ə-ˈvis-tik

\ adjective

atavistically \ -ti-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

atavism

Definition of atavism

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History and Etymology for atavism

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atavism

Definition of atavism

Other Words from atavism

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Examples of atavism in a Sentence

First Known Use of atavism

History and Etymology for atavism

Medical Definition of atavism

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