archaic

American  

[ahr-key-ik] / ɑrˈkeɪ ɪk /

adjective

1. marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated.

   an archaic manner; an archaic notion.

2. (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.

3. forming the earliest stage; prior to full development.

   the archaic period of psychoanalytic research.

4. (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.

5. primitive; ancient; old.

   an archaic form of animal life.

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archaic British  

/ ɑːˈkeɪɪk /

adjective

1. belonging to or characteristic of a much earlier period; ancient

2. out of date; antiquated

   an archaic prison system

3. (of idiom, vocabulary, etc) characteristic of an earlier period of a language and not in ordinary use

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Usage

Archaic is used as a label in this dictionary for terms and definitions that were current roughly as late as 1900 but are now employed only as conscious archaisms, as described and exemplified in definition 2 above. An archaic term is generally more recognizable, as when encountered in literature, than one labeled Obsolete.

Other Word Forms

• archaically adverb
• pseudoarchaic adjective
• pseudoarchaically adverb

Etymology

Origin of archaic

First recorded in 1825–35; from French archaïque, or directly from Greek archaïkós “antiquated, old-fashioned,” equivalent to archaî(os) “old” + -ikos adjective suffix; -ic

Explanation

If you use the adjective archaic you are referring to something outmoded, belonging to an earlier period. Rotary phones and cassette players already seem so archaic! The adjective archaic means something that belongs to an earlier or antiquated time. It can also mean something that is outdated but can still be found in the present and therefore could seem out of place. The word comes from archaic (i.e., ancient) Greek, archaikos, and literally means "from Classical Greek culture," though its meaning has broadened as it's been used in English.

Example Sentences

Director Prosit Roy, who is father to a toddler daughter, describes himself as "a girl dad" and says he made the film to challenge "old ideas and archaic values".

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

It is widely considered the oldest archaic primate.

From Science Daily • Mar. 3, 2026

And this is not some archaic cinderblock and mortar contraption: It’s a top-of-the-line, high-tech fabrication.

From Slate • Dec. 29, 2025

Treasuries market, and archaic laws that require mailed paper notices.

From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025

About 2 million years ago, some of these archaic men and women left their homeland to journey through and settle vast areas of North Africa, Europe and Asia.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

Related Words

• ancient
• antiquated
• obsolete
• old-fashioned
• outmoded
• primitive