ancient

adjective
UK: /ˈeɪnʃənt/
US: /ˈeɪnʃənt/

  1. Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence.

    1. That's an ancient castle, it's very old. [ ] [ ]
    2. The ancient city was discovered during the archeological excavations. [ ] [ ]

  2. Having existed for a very long time; very old.

    1. He studies ancient history, like old civilizations. [ ] [ ]
    2. This ancient tree is a landmark in our town, it's many years old. [ ] [ ]

  3. Having the qualities of age or great age.

    1. The library is full of ancient books, it's charming. [ ] [ ]
    2. The ancient customs are still followed in some villages despite modernization. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

venerable old historic aged antique

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "ancient" in English means: Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence., Having existed for a very long time; very old., Having the qualities of age or great age..

The phonetic transcription of "ancient" is /ˈeɪnʃənt/ in British English and /ˈeɪnʃənt/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "ancient": venerable, old, historic, aged, antique.

Example usage of "ancient": "That's an ancient castle, it's very old.". More examples on the page.