1
as in venerable
dating or surviving from the distant past
Rome's ancient ruins remain carefully preserved even in the midst of the bustle of the modern city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in older
being of advanced years and especially past middle age
used to think that age 40 was ancient until I turned 40 myself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in primitive
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
the ancient Inca built a vast network of roads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in elder
a person of advanced years
ancients in the tribe are accorded great respect and valued for their wisdom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of ancient
Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
The origins of the role actually have their roots in ancient Egypt, where a young boy would be enlisted to carry rings to a couple as a symbol of love, fidelity, and fertility.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 10 July 2025
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
No full moons, no silver bullets, no ancients curses and the like, just a title card at the beginning of the film stating that wolf man sightings have been a phenomenon since indigenious peoples ruled the Americas.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancient
Adjective
After eight years of research, archaeologists have unveiled an ancient city in Peru that may have been a flourishing hub for trade 3,500 years ago.
—Asia London Palomba, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025
The origins of the role actually have their roots in ancient Egypt, where a young boy would be enlisted to carry rings to a couple as a symbol of love, fidelity, and fertility.
—Shelby Wax, Vogue, 10 July 2025
Noun
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
No full moons, no silver bullets, no ancients curses and the like, just a title card at the beginning of the film stating that wolf man sightings have been a phenomenon since indigenious peoples ruled the Americas.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancient
Adjective
-
For those who don't know, Area 51 is a large, secretive military base in the remote Nevada desert where several exotic military aircraft have been developed and tested over the years, including the venerable U-2 spy plane way back when.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
The show’s venerable former executive producer resigned in April as corporate executives sought to assert more control over the newsmagazine, which has long operated with a degree of independence from the rest of CBS News.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
2 July 2025
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Noun
-
That comports with the widespread belief that sharp increases in the cost of living during the Biden-Harris administration were a big factor in the pro-Trump shift, as younger voters felt the pinch of inflation more than their elders.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
8 July 2025
-
For elders like Midar, separation from ancestral lands and graves represents not just a physical loss but a spiritual wound that may never heal, in a culture where proximity to family graves is key to a cultural sense of good fortune.—
Willem Marx,
NPR,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
Her aunt doesn’t have time to take her sightseeing, her cousin Céline is cool and dismissive, and her grandmother, who runs an antique shop, is distraught when a precious family heirloom—a drawing by Matisse—goes missing.—
Caroline Carlson
June 30,
Literary Hub,
30 June 2025
-
Walking inside, you’re met with period details that anchor the home in its early 20th-century roots: antique doors, wrought iron railings, hardwood floors, and lofty ceilings create a warm, timeless atmosphere.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Cape Florida Light The Cape Florida Light, in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park on the tip of Key Biscayne, is the oldest lighthouse in the state.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 July 2025
-
Patrick O’Connor, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, told AP this may be Denver’s deepest and oldest find yet.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Director Gareth Edwards and screenwriter David Koepp give EW the inside scoop on creating these prehistoric monsters.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
-
Overall, the graves have slowly revealed new clues about the prehistoric society that lived in the region thousands of years ago.—
Sonja Anderson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
30 June 2025
Noun
-
The game focuses on themes of searching for identity, both in the superhero sense and in the teenager becoming an adult variety.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
The adult arcades see that as just the cost of doing business.—
Josh Salman,
Miami Herald,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Jackson hoped that the exhibition would counter the misconception that medieval women were universally downtrodden drudges.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
-
This location captures the folk charm and romance of Germany's medieval architecture, having been inspired by architectural styles from northern Germany, Bavaria, the Rhineland and Black Forest, ranging in era from the 12th to 17th centuries.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancient. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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