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When is obsolete a more appropriate choice than archaic?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 Of course, fielding percentage is an archaic metric that modern baseball fans don’t bother with. Levi Weaver, New York Times, 20 May 2025 After 2012, when Putin returned to the presidency, the Kremlin began tightening its grip on Russia’s elites, embracing an archaic militarism, and widening its repression of civil society. Andrei Yakovlev, Foreign Affairs, 16 May 2025 Instead, MP3s are manually transferred to the storage, which may feel a little archaic to those who have never really maintained an old-school digital music library. Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025 His work in building the Augment MBA program is a response to a problem many business schools don’t recognize: the risk of over-reliance on archaic frameworks instead of education in service of action. Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for archaic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archaic
Adjective
  • However, the whole idea of learning needs seems antiquated.
    David James, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
  • The airport, situated outside the city, was antiquated, but their hotel, the Excelsior, was all Art Deco glamour and gleaming chandeliers.
    Laurie Gwen Shapiro, New Yorker, 2 June 2025
Adjective
  • Yet there’s growing momentum to release the district — and dozens of others — from decades-old orders that some call obsolete.
    Collin Binkley, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2025
  • Authorities argued at the time that the systems used by the Spanish forces were obsolete and should be replaced for up-to-date versions like those used by allied armies.
    Brittany Williams, Arkansas Online, 4 June 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 property stands out not only for its elegant interiors, but also for its home in a 12th-century castle with medieval history.
    Opheli Garcia Lawler, AFAR Media, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Since gold is nearly indestructible and has been recycled many times, much of the gold used today dates from prehistoric ages.
    David Szondy June 07, New Atlas, 7 June 2025
  • More fossils will be needed to know if the prehistoric waterwheels grew snap traps to enclose small aquatic invertebrates, like its modern counterparts, but the lineage was already present during a time when the world was warmer and wetter, and mammals were just beginning to get big.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Archaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archaic. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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