ancient
ancient Lexical Profile
ancient Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence, especially referring to the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire.
"Archaeologists uncovered pottery shards from an ancient civilization buried beneath the desert sands."
Having been in existence for a very long time; showing the signs of great age.
"We walked along a quiet trail shaded by ancient oak trees."
• noun
A person who lived in ancient times, especially a classical Greek or Roman writer, philosopher, or artist (usually used in the plural).
"Renaissance scholars eagerly studied the philosophical treatises of the ancients."
A very old person; an elder.
"The village council of ancients gathered to share oral histories with the younger generation."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'ancien', which derives from Vulgar Latin '*anteanus' (meaning 'from before'), formed from the Latin preposition 'ante' ('before'). The final '-t' was added in English during the 15th century by analogy with participial adjectives ending in '-ent'.