He was an Italian primitive.他是一位意大利文艺复兴以前的艺术家。
The anthropology of the future will not be concerned above all else with primitives.未来的人类学不会以原始人为主要的研究对象。

［同义词］ adj.  early, elementary, first, original, simple
［反义词］ adj.  advanced, developed

primitive用作形容词的意思是“原始的,早期的”,主要指发展的早期; 用以指人或用于法律时,则多与原始文明有关,而与高级文明相反,强调自然与纯朴,也可作“简单的,粗糙的”解。

用作定语
▲～+n.
 Primitive man made himself primitive tools from stones and bones.原始人用石块和骨头做原始的工具。
He made a primitive boat out of some pieces of wood.他用几块木头做了艘简易的小船。
A primitive way of making a fire is by rubbing two stones together.原始、简单的生火办法是摩擦两块石头。
用作表语
▲S+be+～
 The Eskimos of the far north are primitive.遥远北方的爱斯基摩人是原始人。
▲S+be+～+prep.-phrase
 Life in the village is too primitive for me; if you want any water you have to pump it up from a well.生活在这个村子里对我来说太不方便了; 如果你想要点水,就得从井里打上来。