archaism

noun

Definition of archaismnext
as in throwback

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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 archaism That phrase, which may strike some young American ears as an archaism if not an oxymoron, is worth unpacking, and Amis provides readers with a pocket account of the historical preconditions of his extravagant fame. — A.o. Scott, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2018 For the Latin American left, that vision has congealed into archaism. — The Economist, 12 Oct. 2017 But the main challenge for any translator is to remain true to Virgil without wrenching him into archaism or stiffness. — Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2017 Full of archaisms, the language has a neo-Nabokovian extravagance, occasionally overindulgent. — Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 13 Feb. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for archaism
  1. throwback
  2. anachronism
  3. antiquity
  4. ancientness
Noun
  • In honor of Thanksgiving 2015, Davis shared a throwback photo with her husband, Julian Tennon and Genesis.
    — Andrea Wurzburger, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Zeta-Jones also shared a sweet birthday tribute to her son with a rare throwback photo of the pair.
    — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of throwback
Noun
  • Greek culinary historian Mariana Kavroulaki pointed out that rather than making stews, characters in The Odyssey were mostly spit-roasting their proteins, though that’s something of an anachronism in the text.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026
  • Our enduring closeness is an anachronism, but a beautiful one.
    — Hannah Engler Harvey, Longreads, 30 July 2026
Definition of anachronism
Noun
  • Meanwhile, an electric color palette of zingy greens, bold reds, and Prussian blues–touched off with plenty of black accents–amplifies the property’s wildly original juxtaposition of antiquity and modernity.
    — Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But the recording itself — which happened in eerie circumstances and nearly destroyed one of the trumpets — also underlines how our handling of antiquities has evolved dramatically in the intervening decades.
    — Sheena McKenzie, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of antiquity
Noun
  • Since war broke out in late February, the show in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia province, had grown increasingly popular, as interest surges among Chinese people in a nearby nation and culture that rivals their own in its depth and ancientness.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026
Definition of ancientness

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Cite this Entry

“Archaism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archaism. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on archaism

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about archaism

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