archaic

adjective

ar·cha·ic är-ˈkā-ik How to pronounce archaic (audio)

: having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses

an archaic word

Note: In this dictionary the label archaic is affixed to words and senses relatively common in earlier times but infrequently used in present-day English.

: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated

archaic legal traditions

capitalized : of or belonging to the early or formative phases of a culture or a period of artistic development

especially : of or belonging to the period leading up to the classical period of Greek culture

: surviving from an earlier period

specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage

capitalized : of or relating to the period from about 8000 b.c. to 1000 b.c. and the North American cultures of that time

archaically

är-ˈkā-i-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce archaic (audio)

adverb

Example Sentences

The author is a bluestocking, with a weakness for etymology and archaic religious texts, her body of work lauded for revealing the sacred in the ordinary.

Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008 Europe's economic growth and productivity, Judt reminds us, for all the horror stories about archaic work regulations and inflexible labor markets, has remained impressive up to the current moment.

John T. McGreevy, Commonweal, 24 Mar. 2006 Between the upper limit of radiocarbon dating (about 50 ka) and the lower limit of radiogenic potassium dating (about 0.5 Ma) there used to exist a chronological lacuna that I call the Gap. This temporal range encompasses the transition of archaic humans into fully modern forms, so the lack of a reliable means of dating fossils from the Gap was disconcerting.

Ervan G. Garrison, Physics Today, October 2001 The company needs to update its archaic computer systems.

Recent Examples on the Web Before his death in 2018, the Arizona Republican pushed to repeal an archaic FAA rule that limited Gateway Airport's ability to build the tower.

Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 24 Aug. 2022 Yet one lap past the actual wares of the fair, where most brands marketed inviting, informal clothes, and these dutiful dandies appear as archaic as a crumbling fresco.

Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, 20 June 2022 One common, if admittedly archaic, point of Hindu tradition is that women who are menstruating are encouraged not to participate in temple activities, like worshiping or cooking, or being on temple grounds.

Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Mar. 2022 The building, at Kaufman Astoria Studios, has arches and an archaic look that feels plucked out of the Fifties thriller Sunset Boulevard.

Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2022 Transplant doctors have complained for years about archaic aspects of the technology for sharing data and getting organs to the right place as quickly as possible.

Joseph Menn, Lenny Bernstein, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2022 Transplant doctors have complained for years about archaic aspects of the technology for sharing data and getting organs to the right place as quickly as possible.

Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post, 31 July 2022 To him, autonomy is becoming an archaic concept and has been for a while.

Sara Tidwell, The Enquirer, 28 July 2022 More disappointing than the screen size, though, is the infotainment system's archaic graphics and menu structure.

Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 28 July 2022 See More

archaic

adjective

as in antiquated

having passed its time of use or usefulness the company needs to update its archaic computer system

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

antiquated
obsolete
medieval
prehistoric
dated
outmoded
outdated
ancient
old
rusty
neolithic
useless
prehistorical
outworn
fossilized
antique
expired
passé
defunct
moribund
discarded
mossy
superannuated
out-of-date
aging
historical
mediaeval
vintage
historic
retro
démodé
late
obsolescent
extinct
kaput
unworkable
dead
unusable
antediluvian
kaputt
demoded
ageing
disused
Noachian
Stone Age
moth-eaten
past
fusty
aged
vanished
venerable
inoperable
inert
atavistic
latent
hoary
free
musty
bygone
inoperative
dormant
idle
former
inactive
erstwhile
old-fashioned
fallow
old-time
age-old
dateless
old-world
oldfangled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

modern
contemporary
current
new
newfangled
recent
ultramodern
modernized
fresh
new-fashioned
mod
present-day
functional
up-to-date
operational
up-to-the-minute
workable
renewed
operating
operable
operative
active
functioning
refurbished
busy
remodeled
employed
alive

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of archaic are ancient, antiquated, antique, obsolete, old, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

The meanings of ancient and archaic largely overlap; however, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

The words antiquated and archaic can be used in similar contexts, but antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

Although the words antique and archaic have much in common, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

While in some cases nearly identical to archaic, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

The words old and archaic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses

an old sweater of mine

The synonyms venerable and archaic are sometimes interchangeable, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

单词	archaic
释义	archaic adjective ar·cha·ic är-ˈkā-ik 1 : having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses an archaic word Note: In this dictionary the label archaic is affixed to words and senses relatively common in earlier times but infrequently used in present-day English. 2 : of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated archaic legal traditions 3 capitalized : of or belonging to the early or formative phases of a culture or a period of artistic development especially : of or belonging to the period leading up to the classical period of Greek culture 4 : surviving from an earlier period specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage 5 capitalized : of or relating to the period from about 8000 b.c. to 1000 b.c. and the North American cultures of that time archaically är-ˈkā-i-k(ə-)lē adverb Synonyms antiquated dated démodé demoded fossilized kaput kaputt medieval mediaeval moribund mossy moth-eaten neolithic Noachian obsolete out-of-date outdated outmoded outworn passé prehistoric prehistorical rusty Stone Age superannuated See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences The author is a bluestocking, with a weakness for etymology and archaic religious texts, her body of work lauded for revealing the sacred in the ordinary. Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008 Europe's economic growth and productivity, Judt reminds us, for all the horror stories about archaic work regulations and inflexible labor markets, has remained impressive up to the current moment. John T. McGreevy, Commonweal, 24 Mar. 2006 Between the upper limit of radiocarbon dating (about 50 ka) and the lower limit of radiogenic potassium dating (about 0.5 Ma) there used to exist a chronological lacuna that I call the Gap. This temporal range encompasses the transition of archaic humans into fully modern forms, so the lack of a reliable means of dating fossils from the Gap was disconcerting. Ervan G. Garrison, Physics Today, October 2001 The company needs to update its archaic computer systems. Recent Examples on the Web Before his death in 2018, the Arizona Republican pushed to repeal an archaic FAA rule that limited Gateway Airport's ability to build the tower. Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 24 Aug. 2022 Yet one lap past the actual wares of the fair, where most brands marketed inviting, informal clothes, and these dutiful dandies appear as archaic as a crumbling fresco. Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, 20 June 2022 One common, if admittedly archaic, point of Hindu tradition is that women who are menstruating are encouraged not to participate in temple activities, like worshiping or cooking, or being on temple grounds. Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 25 Mar. 2022 The building, at Kaufman Astoria Studios, has arches and an archaic look that feels plucked out of the Fifties thriller Sunset Boulevard. Jayson Buford, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2022 Transplant doctors have complained for years about archaic aspects of the technology for sharing data and getting organs to the right place as quickly as possible. Joseph Menn, Lenny Bernstein, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Aug. 2022 Transplant doctors have complained for years about archaic aspects of the technology for sharing data and getting organs to the right place as quickly as possible. Lenny Bernstein, Washington Post, 31 July 2022 To him, autonomy is becoming an archaic concept and has been for a while. Sara Tidwell, The Enquirer, 28 July 2022 More disappointing than the screen size, though, is the infotainment system's archaic graphics and menu structure. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 28 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology French or Greek; French archaïque, from Greek archaïkos, from archaios First Known Use 1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Phrases Containing archaic archaic smile archaic smile Kids Definition archaic adjective ar·cha·ic är-ˈkā-ik : of, relating to, or existing from an earlier time archaic words archaic customs Medical Definition archaic adjective ar·cha·ic är-ˈkā-ik 1 : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage archaic features of a fossil skull 2 : having the characteristics of primitive humans and their animal forebears especially as represented in the unconscious and appearing in behavior as manifestations of the unconscious archaic adjective as in antiquated having passed its time of use or usefulness the company needs to update its archaic computer system Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance antiquated obsolete medieval prehistoric dated outmoded outdated ancient old rusty neolithic useless prehistorical outworn fossilized antique expired passé defunct moribund discarded mossy superannuated out-of-date aging historical mediaeval vintage historic retro démodé late obsolescent extinct kaput unworkable dead unusable antediluvian kaputt demoded ageing disused Noachian Stone Age moth-eaten past fusty aged vanished venerable inoperable inert atavistic latent hoary free musty bygone inoperative dormant idle former inactive erstwhile old-fashioned fallow old-time age-old dateless old-world oldfangled Antonyms & Near Antonyms modern contemporary current new newfangled recent ultramodern modernized fresh new-fashioned mod present-day functional up-to-date operational up-to-the-minute workable renewed operating operable operative active functioning refurbished busy remodeled employed alive See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of archaic are ancient, antiquated, antique, obsolete, old, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time. the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period The meanings of ancient and archaic largely overlap; however, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past. ancient accounts of dragons The words antiquated and archaic can be used in similar contexts, but antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time. antiquated teaching methods Although the words antique and archaic have much in common, antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time. collected antique Chippendale furniture While in some cases nearly identical to archaic, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence. a computer that makes earlier models obsolete The words old and archaic are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence. old houses an old sweater of mine The synonyms venerable and archaic are sometimes interchangeable, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age. the family's venerable patriarch
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archaic

adjective

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing archaic

Kids Definition

adjective

Medical Definition

adjective

adjective

Synonym Chooser