archive

[ ahr-kahyv ]

noun

1. Usually archives. documents or records relating to the activities, business dealings, etc., of a person, family, corporation, association, community, or nation.
2. archives, a place where public records or other historical documents are kept.
3. any extensive record or collection of data:

   The encyclopedia is an archive of world history. The experience was sealed in the archive of her memory.

4. Digital Technology.
   1. a long-term storage device, as a disk or magnetic tape, or a computer directory or folder that contains copies of files for backup or future reference.
   2. a collection of digital data stored in this way.
   3. a computer file containing one or more compressed files.
   4. a collection of information permanently stored on the internet:

      The magazine has its entire archive online, from 1923 to the present.

verb (used with object)

, ar·chived, ar·chiv·ing.

1. to place or store in an archive:

   to vote on archiving the city's historic documents.

2. Digital Technology. to compress (computer files) and store them in a single file.

archive

/ ˈɑːkaɪv /

noun

1. a collection of records of or about an institution, family, etc
2. a place where such records are kept
3. computing data transferred to a tape or disk for long-term storage rather than frequent use

verb

1. to store (documents, data, etc) in an archive or other repository

Derived Forms

• arˈchival, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of archive¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; originally, as plural, from French archives, from the Late Latin plural noun archīva, archīa “public records,” from Greek archeîa “public records,” plural of archeîon “town hall, public office,” equivalent to archḗ “magistracy, office” + -eion suffix of location

Word History and Origins

Origin of archive¹

C17: from Late Latin archīvum, from Greek arkheion repository of official records, from arkhē government

Example Sentences

The university has now discovered that the skulls and other bones are still in its archive.

From BBC

But she kept in touch with women back home, who would share videos which she then collected and archived.

From BBC

The men’s lawyers believe they have a case for a failure to disclose medical records and, at worst, may have had glimpses of a cover-up locked in the bowels of military archives.

From BBC

Here’s from The Times’ archives a 1990 story on his career.

From Los Angeles Times

Valya, a by-any-means-necessary, push-ahead sort, is continuing the late founder’s plan to use a “genetic archive” to implement a long-term plan to breed “better leaders” — which is to say, “leaders we can control.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• annals