Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective archaic differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of archaic are ancient, antiquated, antique, obsolete, old, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

When could ancient be used to replace archaic?

The meanings of ancient and archaic largely overlap; however, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

In what contexts can antiquated take the place of archaic?

The words antiquated and archaic can be used in similar contexts, but antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When is it sensible to use antique instead of archaic?

Although the words antique and archaic have much in common, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

When is obsolete a more appropriate choice than archaic?

While in some cases nearly identical to archaic, 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

When can old be used instead of archaic?

The words old and archaic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses
an old sweater of mine

Where would venerable be a reasonable alternative to archaic?

The synonyms venerable and archaic are sometimes interchangeable, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of archaic As One of Us gleefully samples multiple registers—comic, tragic, satiric, elegiac, poetic—its mesh of archaic and contemporary styles becomes something quite arresting, a joy to read … Chaon’s beautiful novel insists on answers. Book Marks september 26, Literary Hub, 26 Sep. 2025 Neanderthals, archaic humans who lived in Europe and Central Asia before disappearing around 40,000 years ago, are known to have lived alongside the Denisovans and interbred with them. Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025 Now that the year 2000 is a quarter-century in the past, there are definitely some UI touches that feel downright archaic, though. Kyle Orland, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025 Encampment clearance, arrests, incarceration, and the demonization of people experiencing homelessness by using the archaic language of vagrancy laws exacerbate the social, economic, and personal circumstances that already challenge individuals’ subsistence and independence. Time, 16 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for archaic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archaic
Adjective
  • Large events might overwhelm its antiquated plumbing system.
    Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 28 Sep. 2025
  • The immigration agent didn’t know what to make of the antiquated document.
    Pedro Rios, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • But as obsolete as these pregnancy myths might have become, in some ways parents still need them.
    Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
  • Mastery of a particular model’s API or a set of prompting techniques can become obsolete in a matter of months.
    Marco Argenti, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Bettany played English poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer in the medieval action-comedy, which starred Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, who forges a new identity for himself as a knight when his master dies.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The movie was set in medieval times, and blended action, comedy and modern pop culture.
    Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Its image is painted on ancient Southwestern pottery and chiseled into prehistoric petroglyphs that line Texas canyons.
    Hollace Ava Weiner, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Oct. 2025
  • From the Elgol dinosaur to the Krusatodon or the world’s largest pterosaur fossil from the Jurassic period, fossils found here have shaped our understanding of the prehistoric world.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 3 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Archaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archaic. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.

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