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
1
as in maturity
the state of being an old person
if nothing else, the patriarch had achieved a degree of ancientness worthy of veneration
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in antiquity
the state of being something old
the ancientness of the papyrus was authenticated by carbon dating
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
Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
One relatively new method for studying ancient bones is palaeoproteomics, the study of preserved proteins.
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 5 June 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
Moreover, ancient Korean court music and its instruments became an obsession with the echt-California composer Lou Harrison.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
One relatively new method for studying ancient bones is palaeoproteomics, the study of preserved proteins.
—Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 5 June 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
-
Nearly 25 years have passed since an upstart Harlem minister tried to unseat the venerable Charlie Rangel, as much an institution as the Apollo Theater or the nearby Lenox Lounge.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
31 May 2025
-
This is thanks to the venerable Hass variety, discovered in the 1920s by a Pasadena mail carrier-turned-grower, Rudolph Hass.—
Daniel Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 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
Adjective
-
The online marketplace is full of fellow antique lovers selling finds that date all the way back to the 1940s.—
Shea Simmons,
Southern Living,
7 June 2025
-
When Tanner moved a few years later, an antique dealer took possession.—
Samantha Baskind,
Smithsonian Magazine,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
International students make up about 27% of the student body at the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
5 June 2025
-
Former New College student Katie Helms, 47, got emotional when remembering her old mentor.—
Toria Sheffield,
People.com,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
The obvious difference is the lack of a coastal element, as Sand Valley’s courses are spread across 12,000 acres of prehistoric sand dunes.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
Beneath the surface of Warm Mineral Springs, divers have discovered prehistoric remains dating back 10,000 years.—
Sean Kingsley,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Adjective
-
Seton Hall Prep: Sweeney’s father had been a professor of medieval English at Seton Hall University.—
Nick Paumgarten,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
-
The new study, published in Antiquity, suggests that this wall was an important part of frontier life and provides a more complex picture of society in medieval Mongolia.—
Stephanie Edwards,
Discover Magazine,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
When an elderly man boarded an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Juneau, Alaska, his travel companion knew the journey carried special weight.—
Darlin Tillery,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 May 2025
-
Even so, there were reports about how Biden’s age could have become a political liability even before then-special counsel Robert Hur’s reporting describing the then-president as an elderly man with a bad memory.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
30 May 2025
Adjective
-
Deep listening is about genuine curiosity cueing in our primal need to be seen and heard, and create unexpected connections, ultimately combating loneliness and promoting social cohesion.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2025
-
Reid plays the New Boy’s difference, almost beyond human, with surprising subtlety and restraint for such a raw performer (which is essential to capture that primal sense of survival at all costs).—
Ella Kemp,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancient. Accessed 12 Jun. 2025.
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