archival

[ahr-kahy-vuhl]

adjective

1. of or relating to archives or valuable records; contained in or comprising such archives or records.

Word History and Origins

Origin of archival¹

First recorded in 1840–50; archive + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Throughout this documentary by Sam Blair, Italian voters in archival footage are heard insisting that “What he did for Milan he can do for Italy.”

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When combined with archival observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, the data revealed that the blast originated from a massive red supergiant star wrapped in an unexpected blanket of dust.

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The archival footage is plentiful and a treat: Country legends Merle Travis and Grandpa Jones are seen in their virtual infancy.

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Marshall’s straightforward, reasoned tone pairs well with archival snippets and photos of what life in his era looked like before Thurgood came to town, as the folks he defended would say.

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Every episode of “The Paper” features an opening credits montage of archival footage from the pre-Internet era, before the 24-hour news cycle and handheld devices ruled the information space.

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Related Words

• actual 
• ancient 
• classical 
• factual 
• real