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.

The growing consensus is that the Democrats are marching out a vanguard of ancient party members to fight the war before the last war.

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The ancient town of Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire is a case in point.

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"North Africa was the Bible Belt of ancient Christianity," says Prof Christopher Bellitto, a historian at Kean University in the US.

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Looting has been reported at other Sudanese museums and ancient sites.

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A gang of thieves from London who stole ancient artefacts from a Swiss museum have been jailed for plotting to kill a cage fighter at his luxury home.

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Related 51�Թ�s

ancien régime Ancient Greek

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