archaism

Definition of archaismnext

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of archaism Narrator Mary Lewis, raised in Newfoundland herself, delivers the book in a manner that seems stilted at first but grows more appealing as Lewis moves further into the story, with its pleasing archaisms and evocation of balked communication. Katherine A. Powers, Washington Post, 21 Jan. 2020 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
Noun
  • Channel Islands National Park, California A throwback to old California, the five-island park preserves paleolithic digs, frontier-era ranches and relics of Spanish exploration.
    CNN.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
  • Part of it reflects a broader throwback trend.
    Star Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • This visitor-repellant monstrosity was an anachronism when new and got worse over time.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 2 May 2026
  • But like the handsome, burgundy Chevy that actually pulls up onstage (one curious anachronism among several), Lane doesn’t have the air of a beat-up workhorse.
    Naveen Kumar, Variety, 10 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • To date, the Antiquities Trafficking Unit has recovered more than 6,200 cultural treasures, including rare books, works of art, and antiquities, valued at more than $485 million, and returned more than 5,900 of those to 36 countries.
    Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 6 May 2026
  • Despite chang’s antiquity, Tibetans have their share of teetotalers and prohibitionists.
    Geoff Childs, The Conversation, 1 May 2026
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

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Cite this Entry

“Archaism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/archaism. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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