1. The reappearance of a characteristic or trait from a remote ancestor; a throwback to an earlier evolutionary stage.
Usage: Usually used in biology and anthropology contexts.; Plural form of atavism.
2. A primitive or ancestral form or mode of behavior that resurfaces in a modern individual or society.
Usage: Used figuratively in social or cultural contexts.

Examples

• The presence of a tail in human fetuses is considered one of the atavisms that reveals our evolutionary past.
• Some biologists view certain vestigial organs as atavisms from earlier stages of human development.
• The critic argued that the regime's policies represented dangerous atavisms of authoritarian rule.
• Atavisms in animal behavior sometimes emerge under stress or in unusual environments.
• The philosopher warned against cultural atavisms that could undermine modern democratic values.