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atavism

[ at-uh-viz-uhm ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Biology.
1. the reappearance in an individual of characteristics of some remote ancestor that have been absent in intervening generations.
2. an individual embodying such a reversion.
reversion to an earlier type; throwback.

atavism

/ ˈætəˌvɪzəm; əˈtævɪk /

noun

the recurrence in a plant or animal of certain primitive characteristics that were present in an ancestor but have not occurred in intermediate generations
reversion to a former or more primitive type

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Derived Forms

atavic, adjective
ˈ��ٲ��, noun

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Other Word Forms

��a·�� noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of atavism¹

First recorded in 1825–35; from Latin atav(us) “great-great-great grandfather; remote ancestor, forefather” ( at-, akin to atta familiar name for a grandfather, “grampa” + avus “grandfather, ancestor”) + -ism

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Word History and Origins

Origin of atavism¹

C19: from French atavisme, from Latin atavus strictly: great-grandfather's grandfather, probably from atta daddy + avus grandfather

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Millet plays with the title and with the idea of atavism, in which an ancient trait asserts itself by skipping forward a few generations to suddenly appear in the gene pool.

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If you don’t agree with them then you’re an ignorant, misogynistic and probably racist atavism.

From

Democrats treated patriotism as an unpleasant atavism that we need to get over.

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They think illiberal authoritarianism — “made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science,” to quote Winston Churchill — is the wave of the future, not an atavism from the past.

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A fervent believer in atavism, he was particularly drawn to the fine-tuned measurement of the skull as an indicator of the savage proclivities of man.

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Related Words

atavic atavistic

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