noun
- Plural of atavist; people who exhibit or practice atavism, or who revert to primitive or ancestral characteristics, behaviors, or beliefs.
Usage: Often used in anthropology, psychology, or evolutionary contexts.; Can carry a critical or pejorative tone when describing people or societies viewed as regressive.
Examples
- Some early anthropologists wrongly labeled certain cultures as atavists based on outdated evolutionary theories.
- The philosopher argued that those who rejected scientific progress were atavists clinging to superstition.
- Evolutionary biologists study atavists—organisms that display traits from distant ancestors—to understand genetic inheritance.
- Critics dismissed the movement's leaders as atavists trying to drag society backward.
- The novel's protagonist encounters atavists in a remote village who maintain ancient rituals and customs.