Meaning of “atavistic” in the English Dictionary

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"atavistic" in English

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uk /ˌæt.əˈvɪs.tɪk/ us /ˌæt̬.əˈvɪs.tɪk/ formal

› happening because of a very old habit from a long time ago in human history, not because of a conscious decision or because it is necessary now:

an atavistic fear of the dark

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

atavism

noun [ U ] uk /ˈæt.ə.vɪ.zəm/ us /ˈæt̬.ə.vɪ.zəm/

(Definition of “atavistic” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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