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archaic

adjective
ar·​cha·​ic | \ är-ˈkā-ik How to pronounce archaic (audio) \

Definition of archaic

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
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Other Words from archaic

archaically \ -​i-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce archaically (audio) \ adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for archaic

old, ancient, venerable, antique, antiquated, archaic, obsolete mean having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past. old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence. old houses an old sweater of mine ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past. ancient accounts of dragons venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age. the family's venerable patriarch antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time. collected antique Chippendale furniture antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time. antiquated teaching methods archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time. the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period 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

Examples of archaic in a Sentence

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 The locals spoke a Slavish dialect so thick and archaic that it sounded as if they were chewing stale bread. — Bruce Sterling, Fantasy & Science Fiction, September 2005 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.
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Recent Examples on the Web

 Arbitrary and archaic rules ran roughshod over an emerging industry full of potential. — Andrew Craft, Fox News, "FAA says it's finally 'catching up' to drone technology; several programs in the works," 12 Sep. 2018 At 72, former San Antonio mayor Henry Cisneros is unbowed by paragliding mishap Many of us in this group prefer to call ourselves native Spanish speakers, with all our archaic phrasing and Spanglish gems that transcend both English and Spanish. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "Lack of Spanish fluency should never be a source of shame for Hispanics," 1 Aug. 2019 Except we aren’t shielded by the limitations of archaic technology: The images come in color instead of shades of gray and black, showing every hue of pain, resignation, escapism, hope, and violence. — Marlo Safi, National Review, "A Raw Look at the New ‘Other Half’," 29 June 2019 Under an archaic Alabama law, county sheriffs had been allowed to keep money left over after feeding the inmates in their jails. — al.com, "How many Alabama sheriffs are crooked? DOJ needs to give us an answer," 26 June 2019 The mostly-functional scoreboard in right center field is controlled through an archaic, proprietary switchboard in the press box. — Tom Hewitt, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s ballparks: The midnight sun in Fairbanks seldom sets on Growden Park," 11 July 2019 The Jebel Irhoud skull, for example, has an archaic, elongated back but a distinctly modern face. — Lizzie Wade, Science | AAAS, "Skull fragment from Greek cave suggests modern humans were in Europe more than 200,000 years ago," 10 July 2019 One of agent Scott Boras’ biggest talking points on Scherzer back in 2015 was his winning percentage — by now, an archaic statistic with little value: Scherzer went 80-35 with the Tigers, winning at a 70 percent clip. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Here's how Max Scherzer proved Sunday he's the best of the Detroit Tigers who got away," 1 July 2019 Even Dominican-born baseball players with any Haitian lineage are subject to these archaic practices. — Lyssa Hargrove, Essence, "Forget Tourism: The Dominican Republic Has Never Been Safe For Haitians," 21 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'archaic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of archaic

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for archaic

French or Greek; French archaïque, from Greek archaïkos, from archaios

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More Definitions for archaic

archaic

adjective
How to pronounce archaic (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of archaic

: old and no longer used
: old and no longer useful
: of or relating to ancient times

See the full definition for archaic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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