# atavistic

> English word · Adjective · IPA /æt.əˈvɪs.tɪk/ · frequency rank #80,208

## Definitions
1. Of the recurrence of a trait reappearing after an absence of one or more generations due to a chance recombination of genes.
2. Of a throwback or exhibiting primitivism.
3. Relating to earlier, more primitive behavior that returns after an absence.

## Etymology
From atavism + -istic, from French atavisme, from Latin atavus (“ancestor”), from at + avus (“grandfather”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/atavistic