primitivism
noun
prim·i·tiv·ism ˈpri-mə-ti-ˌvi-zəm 
1
: primitive practices or procedures
also : a primitive quality or state
2
a
: belief in the superiority of a simple way of life close to nature
b
: belief in the superiority of nonindustrial society to that of the present
3
: the style of art of primitive peoples or primitive artists
primitivist
ˈpri-mə-ti-vist
noun or adjective primitivistic
ˌpri-mə-ti-ˈvi-stik
adjective 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web What attracts them is the primitivism, redeemed by charm. 
Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2022 What attracts them all is the formula’s stubborn, sentimental primitivism, redeemed by charm. Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2022 Rather than a defense of chest-beating primitivism, the conclusion emphasizes the risks of male self-assertion untethered from purpose and responsibility. Samuel Goldman, The Week, 3 Nov. 2021 As outlandish as Luhan may sound, neither her primitivism nor her spiritualism was particularly unusual in her time. Rebecca Panovka, The New Yorker, 2 June 2021 Fringe beliefs such as anarcho-primitivism or eco-fascism have become familiar ideologies, and figures like Fuentes possess cultish influence. Nathan Taylor Pemberton, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2021 But the argument that a billionaire’s billions are a self-evident credential for national leadership is modern primitivism at its purest. Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 15 Oct. 2019 Some, inspired by Netflix’s recent thriller about Ted Kaczynski, have embraced the Unabomber’s nihilist primitivism. Sam Adler-bell, The New Republic, 24 Sep. 2019 The Marquesas, Tahiti and Hawaii all offer a foretaste of Gauguin’s late 19th-century Romantic primitivism, but without his depth of passion. Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2018 See More
Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2022 What attracts them all is the formula’s stubborn, sentimental primitivism, redeemed by charm. Dan Neil, WSJ, 6 Jan. 2022 Rather than a defense of chest-beating primitivism, the conclusion emphasizes the risks of male self-assertion untethered from purpose and responsibility. Samuel Goldman, The Week, 3 Nov. 2021 As outlandish as Luhan may sound, neither her primitivism nor her spiritualism was particularly unusual in her time. Rebecca Panovka, The New Yorker, 2 June 2021 Fringe beliefs such as anarcho-primitivism or eco-fascism have become familiar ideologies, and figures like Fuentes possess cultish influence. Nathan Taylor Pemberton, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2021 But the argument that a billionaire’s billions are a self-evident credential for national leadership is modern primitivism at its purest. Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, 15 Oct. 2019 Some, inspired by Netflix’s recent thriller about Ted Kaczynski, have embraced the Unabomber’s nihilist primitivism. Sam Adler-bell, The New Republic, 24 Sep. 2019 The Marquesas, Tahiti and Hawaii all offer a foretaste of Gauguin’s late 19th-century Romantic primitivism, but without his depth of passion. Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
primitive entry 1 + -ism
First Known Use
1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1