ancient
1an·cient
adj \ˈān(t)-shənt, ˈāŋ(k)-shənt\Definition of ANCIENT
1
: having had an existence of many years
2
: of or relating to a remote period, to a time early in history, or to those living in such a period or time; 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
3
— an·cient·ness noun
Examples of ANCIENT
- 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.
Origin of ANCIENT
Middle English ancien, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *anteanus, from Latin ante before — more at ante-
First Known Use: 14th century
Related to ANCIENT
Related Words: aging (or ageing), mature; antiquated, archaic, archaistic, dated, fusty, geriatric, medieval (also mediaeval), moldy, Noachian, obsolete, outmoded, out-of-date, passé; old-fashioned, old-time, old-world, retro, vintage; durable, enduring, lasting, long-lived, permanent; ageless, hallowed, time-honored, timeless, time-tested, timeworn, traditional, tried, tried-and-true; classic, classical; prehistoric (also prehistorical), primeval, primordial
See Synonym Discussion at old
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