archaism
noun
ar·cha·ism
ˈär-kē-ˌi-zəm 
-(ˌ)kā-ˌi-
1
: the use of archaic diction or style
2
: an instance of archaic usage
3
: something archaic
especially
: something (such as a practice or custom) that is outmoded or old-fashioned
Examples of archaism in a Sentence
the archaisms “methinks” and “saith”
Recent Examples on the Web
Narrator Mary Lewis, raised in Newfoundland herself, delivers the book in a manner that seems stilted at first but grows more appealing as Lewis moves further into the story, with its pleasing archaisms and evocation of balked communication.
—
Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2020
That phrase, which may strike some young American ears as an archaism if not an oxymoron, is worth unpacking, and Amis provides readers with a pocket account of the historical preconditions of his extravagant fame.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2018
For the Latin American left, that vision has congealed into archaism.
—The Economist, 12 Oct. 2017
But the main challenge for any translator is to remain true to Virgil without wrenching him into archaism or stiffness.
—Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2017
Full of archaisms, the language has a neo-Nabokovian extravagance, occasionally overindulgent.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2017
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Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2020
That phrase, which may strike some young American ears as an archaism if not an oxymoron, is worth unpacking, and Amis provides readers with a pocket account of the historical preconditions of his extravagant fame.
—A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2018
For the Latin American left, that vision has congealed into archaism.
—The Economist, 12 Oct. 2017
But the main challenge for any translator is to remain true to Virgil without wrenching him into archaism or stiffness.
—Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2017
Full of archaisms, the language has a neo-Nabokovian extravagance, occasionally overindulgent.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Archaism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaism. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
archaism
noun
ar·cha·ism
ˈär-kē-ˌiz-əm
-kā-
1
: the use of archaic words
2
: an archaic word or expression
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