ancient

1 of 3

adjective

an·​cient ˈān(t)-shənt 

ˈāŋ(k)-shənt

1

: having had an existence of many years

ancient customs

2

: 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

3

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

a

: venerable

b

: old-fashioned, antique

ancientness noun

ancient

2 of 3

noun (1)

1

: a person who lived in ancient times:

a

ancients plural : the civilized people of antiquity

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

b

: one of the classical authors

Plutarch and other ancients

2

: an aged living being

a penniless ancient

3

: an ancient coin

ancient

3 of 3

noun (2)

1

archaic : ensign, standard, flag

2

obsolete : the bearer of an ensign

Synonyms

Adjective

• aged
• age-old
• antediluvian
• antique
• dateless
• hoar
• hoary
• immemorial
• old
• venerable

Noun (1)

• elder
• geriatric
• golden-ager
• old-timer
• oldster
• senior
• senior citizen

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.

Noun (1)

ancients in the tribe are accorded great respect and valued for their wisdom

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The photo highlights the relative youth of human civilization by showing a 2,500-year-old temple that is ancient by the yardstick of human lives, alongside the 4.5 billion-year-old disk of Earth's moon, which has watched over humanity since our ancestors emerged from the oceans. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 13 May 2025

Drive around the island and catch glimpses of past civilizations: ancient fig trees propped up by wooden crutches; centuries-old windmills that look like giant antique flyswatters; stone walls built by the Moors during the Middle Ages that somehow still look new. —Julia Chaplin, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2025

Noun

Whereas modern extermination tends to involve poisons or traps that a professional later clears, ancients had to take on pests one by one. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025

Read More: These 5 Ancient Civilizations Treasured Their Pets Coping with Critters The discovery of archeological remains has helped scientists better understand how ancients coped with bothersome critters. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025

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

Phrases Containing ancient

• ancient history

Kids Definition

ancient

1 of 2 adjective

an·​cient ˈān-shənt 

-chənt;

ˈāŋ(k)-shənt

1

: having existed for many years

ancient customs

2

: of or relating to a period of time long past

3

a

: aged, venerable

b

: old-fashioned sense 1, antique

ancientness noun

ancient

2 of 2 noun

1

: an aged person

2

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.