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.

---

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 out of date; antiquated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

---

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

• pseudoarchaic
  adjective
• archaically
  adverb
• 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; see origin at -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 It can also mean something that is outdated but can still be found in the present and therefore could seem out of place.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

See Examples For:

archaic

"We discovered that about 2% of the modern human genome is from archaic hominins," Zhang said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026

Helen adds that despite "archaic notions" still being attached to endometriosis, a greater awareness is a positive to both diagnosed and undiagnosed people.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

The Spanish is archaic, the intonations are complicated, and the words tumble over themselves like a hard charge toward the goal posts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

It operates under archaic authorities, lacking the necessary capacity and accountability to respond to additional geopolitical challenges.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

A third wall looked like a pharmacist’s shelf, and the fourth wall held more archaic objects.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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