Definition of ARCHAIC (original) (raw)
1
: having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses
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
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
Synonyms
Choose the Right Synonym for archaic
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 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That led various departments to buy archaic typewriters, 28 kinds of typewriter ribbons, and 132 kinds of pencils. —Bruce W. Dearstyne / Made By History, TIME, 13 Jan. 2025 In the immediate aftermath of the event, it was reported (including here and here and here), and then spread widely on social media, that this was because Southwest was still using an archaic version of Microsoft Windows that had never received the problematic CrowdStrike update. —Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025 Denisovans, an extinct group of archaic humans closely related to Neanderthals, are known from only a few fossil remains, primarily from this cave. —Anna Nordseth, Discover Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 Like many other tech companies in the twenty-first century, Spotify spent its first decade claiming to disrupt an archaic industry, scaling up as quickly as possible, and attracting venture capitalists to an unproven business model. —Liz Pelly, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for archaic 
Word History
Etymology
French or Greek; French archaïque, from Greek archaïkos, from archaios
First Known Use
1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of archaic was in 1810
Dictionary Entries Near archaic
Cite this Entry
“Archaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaic. Accessed 16 Jan. 2025.
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Last Updated: 16 Jan 2025 - Updated example sentences
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