ancient

¹

[eyn-shuhnt]

adjective

1. of or in time long past, especially before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476.

   ancient history.

   Synonyms: early
   Antonyms: recent

2. dating from a remote period; of great age: ancient trees.

   ancient rocks;

   ancient trees.

   Synonyms: immemorial, age-old
   Antonyms: recent, modern, new

3. very old; aged.

   She's fifteen, which is ancient for a dog that size.

4. being old in wisdom and experience; venerable.

5. old-fashioned or antique.

   Synonyms: vintage, retro, old-time, old-fashioned, olden, antique

noun

1. a person who lived in ancient times.

2. one of the classical writers of antiquity.

3. a very old or aged person, especially if venerable or patriarchal.

4. ancients,

   1. Usually the ancients the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians.

   2. the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, especially those of Greece and Rome.

ancient

²

[eyn-shuhnt]

noun

Obsolete.

1. the bearer of a flag.

2. a flag, banner, or standard; ensign.

ancient

¹

/ ˈeɪnʃənt /

adjective

1. dating from very long ago

   ancient ruins

2. very old; aged

3. of the far past, esp before the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476 _ad ) Compare medieval modern

4. law having existed since before the time of legal memory

noun

1. (often plural) a member of a civilized nation in the ancient world, esp a Greek, Roman, or Hebrew

2. (often plural) one of the classical authors of Greek or Roman antiquity

3. archaic,  an old man

ancient

²

/ ˈeɪnʃənt /

noun

1. a flag or other banner; standard

2. a standard-bearer; ensign

Other Word Forms

• ancientness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ancient¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English auncien, from Anglo-French; Old French ancien, from unattested Vulgar Latin antiānus, equivalent to Latin ante(ā) “before”+ -ānus adjective suffix; late Middle English forms with -t- developed by confusion with the present participle ending -nt; -an, ante-, -ent

Origin of ancient²

First recorded in 1550–60; variant of ensign by confusion with ancient ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ancient¹

C14: from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus (unattested), from Latin ante before

Origin of ancient²

C16: changed from _ensign through the influence of _ancient ¹

Synonym Study

Ancient, antiquated, antique, old-fashioned refer to something dating from the past. Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past: an ancient custom. Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful: an antiquated building. Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old: antique furniture. Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior: an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.

Example Sentences

“My own favorite,” Buddy tells us, “was a cold banana pudding—a guarded recipe of the ancient aunt” who took her secret to the grave.

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Isaiah Berlin, drawing on an ancient Greek proverb, famously observed that Leo Tolstoy was a foxlike writer who knew many things but longed to be someone who, like the hedgehog, knew one big thing.

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For those interested in classical architecture, the best-known ancient author, Vitruvius, can be a frustrating guide.

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After two years of experimentation he turned to the ancient Indian cultivation methods of Vrikshayurveda, which he says has bought more success.

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Having read an ancient 700,000-word book only once might prompt an ordinary person, particularly one who takes that book as divine in origin, to express his views tentatively.

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Related Words

• age-old 
• antique 
• archaic 
• hoary 
• old-fashioned 
• timeworn 
• venerable