ancient history

American  

noun

1. the study or a course of study of history before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476.

2. information or an event of the recent past that is common knowledge or is no longer pertinent.

   Last week's news is ancient history.

3. an event, as in a person's life, that occurred in the remote past and has no practical relationship with the present.

   She was my best friend in high school, but that's ancient history now.

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ancient history British  

noun

1. the history of the ancient world from the earliest known civilizations to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 _a.d

2. informal a recent event or fact sufficiently familiar to have lost its pertinence

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ancient history Idioms  

1. A past event, as in She's talking about her sea voyage, but that's ancient history, or And then there was his divorce, but you don't want to hear ancient history. This hyperbolic idiom transfers the field of ancient history to a much-repeated tale.

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Etymology

Origin of ancient history

First recorded in 1585–95

Example Sentences

Despite fears voiced by some over transporting the ancient artwork, Ricketts did not waver.

From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026

The “mixed reality” sculptures incorporate scans of ancient artwork, hand-shaped clay and her own facial features — they look cracked, weathered, instantly timeless.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2024

Other ancient artwork, such as the famous drawings in the Lascaux caves of France, are often just images of the known world.

From New York Times • Oct. 19, 2022

Gansu is a province remote from any great city, and its landscapes — green mountains, eroded karst cliffs, empty deserts — amplified the ancient artwork.

From New York Times • May 11, 2020