ANCIENTLY Synonyms: 20 Similar and Opposite Words

anciently

adverb

Definition of anciently

as in previously

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of anciently Tell El-Fara’in, anciently known as Imet, was a significant urban and religious hub from the Middle Kingdom onward. — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 14 Sep. 2025 It was used anciently as a preservative, a seasoning, and medicinally for its antibacterial properties. — Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 2 Feb. 2024

Recent Examples of Synonyms for anciently

Adverb

It was widely believed that Koval, 20, opted out in opposition to LSU’s signing 6-foot-5 Russian center Anna Minaeva, who previously played professionally for MBA Moscow.

— David K. Li, NBC news, 3 Sep. 2026
Moreno had previously put the club up for sale in August 2022 before pulling the team off the market five months later.

— Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of previously

Adverb

EchoPark Speedway, formerly Atlanta Motor Speedway, is best known for NASCAR, but its calendar extends well beyond major race weekends.

— Chris Teague, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026
Early on Thursday morning technical researcher Eric Lu sparked worldwide excitement and confusion by posting a sequence of 130 digits on X (formerly Twitter).

— Peter Hall, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of formerly

Adverb

Programs such as HyCAT are intended to provide more frequent opportunities to test technologies in realistic flight conditions, potentially allowing developers to identify problems earlier and iterate more quickly.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
The National Weather Service called for blowing dust early Friday evening and a 20% chance of rain on Sunday for nearby Gerlach, Nevada, a community of 58 people about 100 miles north of Reno.

— Dennis Romero, NBC news, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of early

Adverb

In addition to modular dorms, there are many large glass buildings in the Dysonplex (as Allure’s former senior writer Brennan Kilbane dubbed it after his own visit six years ago).

— Jenny Bailly, Allure, 1 Sep. 2026
Only once has the make-up of the WSL’s top four changed since United entered the league in 2019 — when Liverpool, under the late Matt Beard, finished fourth two years ago.

— Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026