英汉词典

1. 原始的；远古的；未开化的
    Primitive means belonging to a society in which people live in a very simple way, usually without industries or a writing system.

    e.g. ...studies of primitive societies.
           对原始社会的研究
    e.g. ...primitive tribes.
           原始部落

2. （动植物）原始的，低等的，进化初期的
    Primitive means belonging to a very early period in the development of an animal or plant.

    e.g. ...primitive whales...
           原始鲸
    e.g. Primitive humans needed to be able to react like this to escape from dangerous animals...
           原始人必须要能作出这样的反应以逃避危险的动物。

3. 古老的；简陋的
    If you describe something as primitive, you mean that it is very simple in style or very old-fashioned.

    e.g. The conditions are primitive by any standards...
           无论用什么标准来衡量，其条件都很简陋。
    e.g. The primitive surgery of those days left him virtually deaf in one ear...
           那时候简陋的外科手术让他一只耳朵几乎失聪。