archival
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of archival
Explanation
Anything archival relates to an archive, which is a record or collection of historical materials. Archival resources document the past. Most libraries have a special place for archival documents, like old newspapers and photos. An archive is a collection of older things such as books, music, or documents. Many librarians and curators collect and care for archives. Anything archival relates to an archive. An archival record documents everything in an archive, such as an archive of 19th century poetry. An archival search is a search of an archive, such as an archive of birth certificates. This word has to do with historical collections. Scholars who study the past often have to do archival research.
Vocabulary lists containing archival
Play by the Rules: Arch
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Salt to the Sea
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myPerspectives 9.6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If the nature of design is building upon and taking from existing works, then creating an archival space is collecting pieces of history.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
"With limited archival information currently available – including uncertainty over the ship's age, captain, and final moments – the project team hopes modern survey techniques will provide long-awaited answers."
From BBC • Apr. 11, 2026
These days, Apple’s archival materials are held in several humidity-controlled storage facilities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
"With further development and commercialization, this type of multidimensional holographic data storage could enable smaller data centers and more efficient large-scale archival storage, while also enhancing data processing and transmission efficiency," said Tan.
From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026
I also relied on extensive archival photos and documents, scientific and historical research, and the personal journals of Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah Lacks.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
