archival
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of archival
Explanation
Anything archival relates to an archive, which is a record or collection of historical materials. Archival resources document the past. Most libraries have a special place for archival documents, like old newspapers and photos. An archive is a collection of older things such as books, music, or documents. Many librarians and curators collect and care for archives. Anything archival relates to an archive. An archival record documents everything in an archive, such as an archive of 19th century poetry. An archival search is a search of an archive, such as an archive of birth certificates. This word has to do with historical collections. Scholars who study the past often have to do archival research.
Vocabulary lists containing archival
Play by the Rules: Arch
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Salt to the Sea
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
myPerspectives 9.6
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hosted by Grand Performances in DTLA, the Aug. 22 tribute night will feature archival footage and conversations with family members to discuss the teenage star’s identity and belonging in rock ‘n’ roll history.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
To examine the spiral galaxy across as much of the electromagnetic spectrum as possible, the team combined archival observations from Hubble and Webb.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
His archival discoveries change the shape of her story.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Researchers later used the archival record of yellow fever outbreaks, paired with genome analyses of modern mosquitoes, to piece together the insect’s travels.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
I also relied on extensive archival photos and documents, scientific and historical research, and the personal journals of Henrietta’s daughter, Deborah Lacks.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
