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
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Salt to the Sea
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myPerspectives 9.6
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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.
Both Haig and Maras strove to be as historically accurate as possible, even including archival footage from the war.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
Through interviews, legal analysis, and archival research, the mild-mannered Westerner emerges as the court’s most unpredictable—and most important—sitting justice.
From Slate • May 13, 2026
Most of the night's musical performances were accompanied by archival footage or other montages celebrating Sir David's career.
From BBC • May 8, 2026
By carefully studying archival records and historical documents, the researchers were able to map out previously unknown branches of Leonardo's family.
From Science Daily • May 4, 2026
Dobyns had been dipping his toe into archival research for more than a decade, with results he found intriguing.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
