archaic
marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated: an archaic manner; an archaic notion.
(of a linguistic form) commonly used in an earlier time but rare in present-day usage except to suggest the older time, as in religious rituals or historical novels. Examples: thou; wast; methinks; forsooth.
forming the earliest stage; prior to full development: the archaic period of psychoanalytic research.
(often initial capital letter) pertaining to or designating the style of the fine arts, especially painting and sculpture, developed in Greece from the middle 7th to the early 5th century b.c., chiefly characterized by an increased emphasis on the human figure in action, naturalistic proportions and anatomical structure, simplicity of volumes, forms, or design, and the evolution of a definitive style for the narrative treatment of subject matter.: Compare classical (def. 6), Hellenistic (def. 5).
primitive; ancient; old: an archaic form of animal life.
Origin of archaic
1usage note For archaic
Other words from archaic
- ar·cha·i·cal·ly, adverb
- pseu·do·ar·cha·ic, adjective
- pseu·do·ar·cha·i·cal·ly, adverb
Words that may be confused with archaic
- archaic , obsolescent, obsolete
Words Nearby archaic
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use archaic in a sentence
That’s led to the assumption that there are millions of these archaic animals crisscrossing the deeps in front of coral reefs.
These discoveries pose new questions regarding the nature of our interaction with other archaic human species.
It used to mean something “alien” or “foreign,” and though this is an archaic definition, it’s part of the word’s legacy.
Obviously, the researchers who did the phylogenetic analysis know what they’re saying when they assert that this species mixes modern and archaic features, but physical characteristics are less informative of a lineage’s relationships than DNA is.
The Human Family Tree, It Turns Out, Is Complicated - Issue 102: Hidden Truths | Razib Khan | June 30, 2021 | NautilusThe jaw too displays archaic features, but also includes forms commonly seen in Neanderthals.
A New Mystery Human Species Has Been Discovered in Israel | Michelle Langley | June 25, 2021 | Singularity Hub
There are some pretty archaic, long-held biases and prejudices that remain in place (see Mets, New York).
It’s Time to Get More Women in the NFL Boardroom | Robert Silverman | September 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWhile he enjoyed the experience once in the air, he found the process of booking the flight to be archaic and obscure.
Too many shows meet their demise way early because of an archaic way of counting.
Jim Rash on ‘The Writers’ Room’ and the Future of ‘Community’ | Kevin Fallon | April 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThere was one daunting, archaic elevator, and a flight of stairs with no lights.
The counterargument, of course, is that this method of delivery is pretty archaic.
Is Life Without CBS Really So Bad for Time Warner Customers? | Marlow Stern | August 8, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTSpacing after punctuation standardized, inconsistent hyphenation and archaic spelling retained.
The following archaic spellings of words were used in the original book and have been retained: head-ach; concuring; delinated.
An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae | Edward JennerHe even brushed up his archaic French for the sake of inquiring directly after the child's health from Fanchette.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume II (of 3) | Charles James WillsIn English archaic writings the instances in which the mention of the Satanic power is thus utilised are not numerous.
A Cursory History of Swearing | Julian SharmanNeither are we able to support the contention that it takes its rise in the archaic “woundy,” which perished in the same fires.
A Cursory History of Swearing | Julian Sharman
British Dictionary definitions for archaic
/ (ɑːˈkeɪɪk) /
belonging to or characteristic of a much earlier period; ancient
out of date; antiquated: an archaic prison system
(of idiom, vocabulary, etc) characteristic of an earlier period of a language and not in ordinary use
Origin of archaic
1Derived forms of archaic
- archaically, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Browse