ancient

1 of 3

adjective

an·cient ˈān(t)-shənt

ˈāŋ(k)-shənt

Synonyms of ancient next

: having had an existence of many years

ancient customs

: of or relating to a remote period, to a time early in history, or to those living in such a period or time

ancient Egyptians

especially : of or relating to the historical period beginning with the earliest known civilizations and extending to the fall of the western Roman Empire in a.d. 476

studied both ancient and modern history

: having the qualities of age or long existence: such as

: venerable

: old-fashioned, antique

ancientness noun

ancient

2 of 3

noun (1)

: a person who lived in ancient times:

ancients plural : the civilized people of antiquity

especially : those of the classical nations (see classical sense 2a)

: one of the classical authors

Plutarch and other ancients

: an aged living being

a penniless ancient

: an ancient coin

ancient

3 of 3

noun (2)

archaic : ensign, standard, flag

obsolete : the bearer of an ensign

Choose the Right Synonym for ancient

old, ancient, venerable, antique, antiquated, archaic, obsolete mean having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past.

old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses

an old sweater of mine

ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

Examples of ancient in a Sentence

Adjective The people in the village still observe the ancient customs of their ancestors. a grove of ancient oak trees The practice was more common in ancient times than it is now. the gods of the ancient Romans She studied both ancient and modern history.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Quasar stage looks like a cross between an ancient pyramid and a spaceship, featuring a distinct angular design and intricate lights lined up across the entire stage. —

Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 13 Apr. 2024 Separately, researchers uncovered an ancient grave in what’s now Patagonia in Argentina including a person buried with a fox, suggesting that the canine relatives of dogs were once humans’ best friends. —

Ashley Strickland, CNN, 13 Apr. 2024 So, what messages from ancient life might persist in these calcite time capsules? —

Evan Thomas Saitta, Discover Magazine, 12 Apr. 2024 Read Next Divers remove ancient Roman cargo from shipwreck — and find unique carvings. —

Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024 Be sure to visit this Blue Ridge Parkway town and its namesake geological formation — an ancient gneiss outcrop whose rocky bulk causes the wind to blow vertically, making objects appear to float skyward. —

Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 11 Apr. 2024 Inspired by the classic tastes of iconic chips, the crunchy ancient grain puffs come in cheddar, sour cream and onion, barbeque and sriracha flavors. —

Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024 Many of the tattoos could have been an ancient way to treat joint pain in his lower back, knees, hip and wrists. —

Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 9 Apr. 2024 The stony object was actually a piece of ancient battle gear, the Soprintendenza del Mare announced in a March 28 Facebook post. —

Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2024

Noun

Yet not only is there no Vena amoris (as it was dubbed), but there’s also little evidence to support the idea of ancients routinely wearing engagement rings. —

Katy Kelleher, refinery29.com, 2 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ancient.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun (1)

Middle English ancien, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *anteanus, from Latin ante before — more at ante-

Noun (2)

alteration of ensign

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1502, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

circa 1556, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of ancient was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Ancient.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ancient. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

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Kids Definition

ancient

1 of 2 adjective

an·cient ˈān-shənt

-chənt;

ˈāŋ(k)-shənt

: having existed for many years

ancient customs

: of or relating to a period of time long past

: aged, venerable

: old-fashioned sense 1, antique

ancientness noun

ancient

2 of 2 noun

: an aged person

plural : the civilized peoples of ancient times and especially of Greece and Rome

Legal Definition

ancient

adjective

an·cient

: existing from a long past date

specifically : having had an uninterrupted existence of 20 to 30 or more years

Note: Things and especially documents that are ancient benefit from a presumption that they are valid even though proof of their validity may be unavailable due to lapse of memory, absence of witnesses, or loss of documents.

Last Updated: 16 Apr 2024 - Updated example sentences

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ancient

adjective

noun (1)

noun (2)

Synonyms

Examples of ancient in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near ancient

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Legal Definition