Meaning & use
atavism
Last updated
The reappearance in an organism, or in behavior, of a characteristic typical of an earlier ancestral form.
See it in a sentence
Biologists described the extra toe as a rare atavism linked to the animal's evolutionary past.
Critics called the policy an atavism, a throwback to outdated ways of thinking.
A note on using this word
Atavism is used both in biology, for inherited ancestral traits, and more broadly for a return to old-fashioned attitudes or practices.
Words with a similar meaning
throwbackreversion
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