Primitive may refer to:

Mathematics

  • Primitive element (field theory)
  • Primitive element (finite field)
  • Primitive cell (crystallography)
  • Primitive notion, axiomatic systems
  • Primitive polynomial (disambiguation), one of two concepts
  • Primitive function or antiderivative, ' = f
  • Primitive permutation group
  • Primitive root of unity; See Root of unity
  • Primitive triangle, an integer triangle whose sides have no common prime factor

Sciences

  • Primitive (phylogenetics), characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution
  • Primitive equations, a set of nonlinear differential equations that are used to approximate atmospheric flow
  • Primitive change, a general term encompassing a number of basic molecular alterations in the course of a chemical reaction

Computing

  • Cryptographic primitives, low-level cryptographic algorithms frequently used to build computer security systems
  • Geometric primitive, the simplest kinds of figures in computer graphics
  • Language primitive, the simplest element provided by a programming language
  • Primitive data type, a datatype provided by a programming language

Art and entertainment

  • Naïve art, created by untrained artists
  • Neo-primitivism, an early 20th-century Russian art movement that looks to early human history, folk art and non-Western or children's art for inspiration
  • Primitivism, an early 20th-century art movement that looks to early human history, folk art and non-Western or children's art for inspiration
  • Primitive decorating, a style of decorating using primitive folk art style that is characteristic of a historic or early Americana time period
  • Primitive, a novel by J. F. Gonzalez

Music

  • The Primitives, a British indie rock band

Albums

  • Primitive (Neil Diamond album), by Neil Diamond 1984
  • Primitive (Soulfly album), by Soulfly 2000

Songs

  • "Primitive", by Accept from the 1996 album Predator
  • "Primitive", by The Groupies, later covered by The Cramps on the 1981 album Psychedelic Jungle
  • "Primitive", by Killing Joke from the 1980 album Killing Joke
  • "Primitive", by Cyndi Lauper from A Night to Remember
  • "Primitive", by Annie Lennox from the 1992 album Diva
  • "Primitive", by Róisín Murphy from the 2007 album Overpowered

Religion

  • Primitive Church, another name for early Christianity
  • Restorationism, also described as Christian primitivism, is the belief that Christianity should be restored along the lines of what is known about the apostolic early church
  • Primitive Baptist, a religious movement seeking to retain or restore early Christian practices
  • Primitive Methodism

Other uses

  • Primitive (philately)
  • Anarcho-primitivism, an anarchist critique of the origins and progress of civilization
  • Noble savage, a particular stock character in literature, i.e., a person uncorrupted by the influences of civilization
  • Pre-industrial society
  • Primitive communism, a pre-agrarian form of communism according to Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
  • Primitive Culture, an 1871 book by Edward Burnett Tylor.
  • Primitive Skateboarding, a company located in Los Angeles

See also

  • Primeval (disambiguation)
  • Primitive Man (disambiguation)
  • Primordial (disambiguation)