0 a feeling or reaction that comes from long ago in human history, rather than being necessary or appropriate in modern times:
There is something disconcerting about the seeming atavism of demonstrators carrying torches.
I don't believe the urge to connect with other people is an atavism.
Farms are modern workplaces, not arcadian gardens for enjoying indulgent atavism.
Maybe the culture of violence is an atavism left over from primitive times.
A theory developed by astrobiologists suggests that cancer is an atavism, an evolutionary throwback.
