ANCIENT Definition & Meaning

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ancient

[ eyn-shuhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

of or in time long past, especially before the end of the Western Roman Empire a.d. 476:
ancient history.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
dating from a remote period; of great age: ancient trees.
ancient rocks;
ancient trees.
Synonyms: ,
Antonyms: , ,
very old; aged:
She's fifteen, which is ancient for a dog that size.
being old in wisdom and experience; venerable.
old-fashioned or antique.
Synonyms: , , , , ,

noun

a person who lived in ancient times.
one of the classical writers of antiquity.
a very old or aged person, especially if venerable or patriarchal.
ancients,
1. Usually the ancients. the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians.
2. the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, especially those of Greece and Rome.

ancient

[ eyn-shuhnt ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Obsolete.

the bearer of a flag.
a flag, banner, or standard; ensign.

ancient

/ ˈ��ɪ��ʃə�Գ� /

adjective

dating from very long ago
ancient ruins
very old; aged
of the far past, esp before the collapse of the Western Roman Empire (476 ad ) Compare medieval modern
law having existed since before the time of legal memory

noun

often plural a member of a civilized nation in the ancient world, esp a Greek, Roman, or Hebrew
often plural one of the classical authors of Greek or Roman antiquity
archaic.
an old man

ancient

/ ˈ��ɪ��ʃə�Գ� /

noun

a flag or other banner; standard
a standard-bearer; ensign

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Derived Forms

ˈ��Գ��ԳٲԱ��, noun

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Other 51�Թ� Forms

��·��Գ�·�Ա�� noun

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of ancient¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English auncien, from Anglo-French; Old French ancien, from unattested Vulgar Latin ��Գپ��Գܲ�, equivalent to Latin ��Գٱ�(��) “b��ڴǰ��”+ -��Գܲ� adjective suffix; late Middle English forms with -t- developed by confusion with the present participle ending -nt; -an, ante-, -ent

Origin of ancient²

First recorded in 1550–60; variant of ensign by confusion with ancient ¹

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of ancient¹

C14: from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus (unattested), from Latin ante before

Origin of ancient²

C16: changed from ensign through the influence of ancient ¹

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Synonym Study

Ancient, antiquated, antique, old-fashioned refer to something dating from the past. Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past: an ancient custom. Antiquated connotes something too old or no longer useful: an antiquated building. Antique suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old: antique furniture. Old-fashioned may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior: an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

While the area was known for its ancient Buddhist temples, the cities were also home to a significant Muslim population.

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Although tunnels have been used in the region since ancient times, many such underground passages were built to connect Gaza to Egypt, in order to evade Israeli control of goods and travel.

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Concerns have also been raised by campaigners, who fear ancient woodland will be destroyed when works begin in 2026.

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When she does some online art-history sleuthing, however, she learns that if indeed these magical beasts are real, then likely so are ancient depictions of them as fully capable of savagely fighting back when threatened.

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It comes after Cardiff University confirmed the cost-cutting proposals, which could also see course closures and department mergers in subjects including nursing, modern languages, religion and theology, music, and ancient history.

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