The difference between Backwards and Primitive

When used as adjectives, backwards means oriented toward the back, whereas primitive means of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times.

Backwards is also adverb with the meaning: toward the back.

Primitive is also noun with the meaning: an original or primary word.

check bellow for the other definitions of Backwards and Primitive

  1. Backwards as an adjective:

    Oriented toward the back.

    Examples:

    "The battleship had three backwards guns at the stern, in addition to the primary complement''."

  2. Backwards as an adjective:

    Reversed.

    Examples:

    "The backwards lettering on emergency vehicles makes it possible to read in the rear-view mirror."

  3. Backwards as an adjective (derogatory):

    Behind current trends or technology.

    Examples:

    "Modern medicine regards the use of leeches as a backwards practice."

  4. Backwards as an adjective:

    Clumsy, inept, or inefficient, especially in learning.

    Examples:

    "He was a very backwards scholar, but he was a marvel on the football field."

  1. Backwards as an adverb:

    Toward the back.

    Examples:

    "The cabinet [[topple]]d over backwards."

    "Life is lived forwards, but understood backwards.''—Søren Kierkegaard"

  2. Backwards as an adverb:

    In the opposite direction to usual.

    Examples:

    "The clock did not work because the battery was inserted backwards."

  3. Backwards as an adverb:

    In a manner such that the back precedes the front.

    Examples:

    "The tour guide walked backwards while droning on to the bored seniors."

  1. Primitive as a noun (linguistics):

    An original or primary word; a word not derived from another, as opposed to .

  2. Primitive as a noun:

    A member of a primitive society.

  3. Primitive as a noun:

    A simple-minded person.

  4. Primitive as a noun (computing, programming):

    A data type that is built into the programming language, as opposed to more complex structures.

  5. Primitive as a noun (computing, programming):

    Any of the simplest elements (instructions, statements, etc.) available in a programming language.

  6. Primitive as a noun:

    A basic geometric shape from which more complex shapes can be constructed.

  7. Primitive as a noun (mathematics):

    A function whose derivative is a given function; an antiderivative.

  1. Primitive as an adjective:

    Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first.

    Examples:

    "'primitive innocence; the primitive church"

  2. Primitive as an adjective:

    Of or pertaining to or harking back to a former time; old-fashioned; characterized by simplicity.

    Examples:

    "synonyms: backwards"

    "a primitive style of dress"

  3. Primitive as an adjective:

    Crude, obsolete.

    Examples:

    "primitive ideas"

  4. Primitive as an adjective (grammar):

    Original; primary; radical; not derived.

    Examples:

    "synonyms: radical"

    "ant derivative derived"

    "a primitive verb"

  5. Primitive as an adjective (biology):

    Occurring in or characteristic of an early stage of development or evolution.

  6. Primitive as an adjective (maths):

    Not derived from another of the same type

    Examples:

    "synonyms: imprimitive"

Compare words:

Compare with synonyms and related words: