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 out of date; antiquated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; 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 It can also mean something that is outdated but can still be found in the present and therefore could seem out of place.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

In a crisis, such as a hurricane in the Caribbean or a menacing in the Persian Gulf, the archaic law becomes an acute problem, because it limits the flexibility of American supply chains to respond.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

In its benign use, Christendom is an archaic label for the Christians of the world.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

Like Karen Barwick though, he questions the need to string them up calling it "archaic".

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

The rebuilt face looks more archaic than many scientists expected, offering fresh clues about one of the first human species to expand across Africa and Eurasia.

From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025

So many of our archaic traditions and rules need to be challenged.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

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