anachronism

American  

[uh-nak-ruh-niz-uhm] / əˈnæk rəˌnɪz əm /

noun

1. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time.

   The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.

2. an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one.

   To assign Michelangelo to the 14th century is an anachronism.

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anachronism British  

/ əˈnækrəˌnɪzəm /

noun

1. the representation of an event, person, or thing in a historical context in which it could not have occurred or existed

2. a person or thing that belongs or seems to belong to another time

   she regards the Church as an anachronism

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Other Word Forms

• anachronistic
  adjective
• anachronically
  adverb
• anachronistically
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of anachronism

1640–50; < Latin anachronismus < Greek anachronismós a wrong time reference, equivalent to anachron ( ízein ) to make a wrong time reference ( see ana-, chron-, -ize) + -ismos -ism

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Explanation

An anachronism is something that doesn't fit its time period, like if you say you'll "dial" your smartphone. Anachronism comes from the Greek roots ana- which means "against" and chron- which means "time." Together they represent a situation in which something happens that should not because it belongs to another time period. You see anachronisms all the time in the movies — they occur when you see a jet fly over a Civil War battle! Or knights jousting over a maiden during the time of Shakespeare!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

anachronism

In a world where “high leverage” is the trendy jargon, maybe a closer is more of an anachronism than a necessity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

It mattered little that it had to drop its Scandinavian roots for Greek mythology -- the anachronism blended into the service of Nolan's brand of realism.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

And yet it remains an anachronism: a privately held business controlled by a deeply private family.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

However, Cracker Barrel is a brand for which its anachronism has long been a selling point, as well as a brand whose customer base reacts strongly to any whiff of change.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2024

Failure to tear away that veil had turned my father into an anachronism.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

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