ancient

¹

[ eyn-shuhnt ]

adjective

1. of or in time long past, especially before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476:

   ancient history.

   Synonyms: early

   Antonyms: recent

2. dating from a remote period; of great age: ancient trees.

   ancient rocks;

   ancient trees.

   Synonyms: immemorial, age-old

   Antonyms: recent, modern, new

3. very old; aged:

   She's fifteen, which is ancient for a dog that size.

4. being old in wisdom and experience; venerable.
5. old-fashioned or antique.

   Synonyms: vintage, retro, old-time, old-fashioned, olden, antique

noun

1. a person who lived in ancient times.
2. one of the classical writers of antiquity.
3. a very old or aged person, especially if venerable or patriarchal.
4. ancients,
   1. Usually the ancients. the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians.
   2. the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, especially those of Greece and Rome.

ancient

²

[ eyn-shuhnt ]

noun

, Obsolete.

1. the bearer of a flag.
2. a flag, banner, or standard; ensign.

ancient

¹

/ ˈeɪnʃənt /

noun

1. a flag or other banner; standard
2. a standard-bearer; ensign

ancient

²

/ ˈeɪnʃənt /

adjective

1. dating from very long ago

   ancient ruins

2. very old; aged
3. of the far past, esp before the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476 ad ) Compare medieval modern
4. law having existed since before the time of legal memory

noun

1. often plural a member of a civilized nation in the ancient world, esp a Greek, Roman, or Hebrew
2. often plural one of the classical authors of Greek or Roman antiquity
3. archaic.
   an old man

Derived Forms

• ˈancientness, noun

Other Words From

• an·cient·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ancient¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English auncien, from Anglo-French; Old French ancien, from unattested Vulgar Latin antiānus, equivalent to Latin ante(ā) “before”+ -ānus adjective suffix; late Middle English forms with -t- developed by confusion with the present participle ending -nt; -an, ante-, -ent

Origin of ancient²

First recorded in 1550–60; variant of ensign by confusion with ancient ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ancient¹

C16: changed from ensign through the influence of ancient ¹

Origin of ancient²

C14: from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus (unattested), from Latin ante before

Synonym Study

Ancient, antiquated, antique, old-fashioned refer to something dating from the past. Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past: an ancient custom. Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful: an antiquated building. Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old: antique furniture. Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior: an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.

Example Sentences

Rajan Naidu, 73, of Gosford Street, Birmingham, and Niamh Lynch, 20, of Norfolk Road, Bedford, were both charged with one count of destroying or damaging an ancient protected monument and one count of causing a public nuisance.

From BBC

The protest took place at the ancient stone circle in June.

From BBC

Since liberals cannot help but show off their college degrees, the 4B movement is being compared to the ancient Greek comedy "Lysistrata," in which Aristophanes imagines a community of women withholding sex from men, in hopes of bringing an end to war.

From Salon

Rick von Hagn, who has spent the last few years experimenting with N. intermedia at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, says the taste and texture of this ancient way of cooking may do the trick on its own.

From Salon

There’s an ancient Mesopotamian belief that physical objects can invite an external presence from a soul into it, and I’m very into pieces that I believe conjure that.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• age-old
• antique
• archaic
• hoary
• old-fashioned
• timeworn
• venerable