anachronism
2 synonyms for anachronism, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A mistake in dating, where an event, circumstance or object is placed in the wrong period.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
mistiming
misdating
How to use anachronism
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
a glaring anachronism
historical anachronism
an anachronism in the film
a bit of an anachronism
It is a fairly formal word, common in writing about history, film and literature.
Etymology
The word comes from New Latin anachronismus, which came from an Ancient Greek word meaning referring to the wrong time. It can be analysed as ana- plus chrono- plus -ism.
Full origin of anachronism →Frequently asked questions
What does anachronism mean?
It is something placed in the wrong time period, or a person or thing that seems to belong to a different era.
What is an example of an anachronism?
A character in a historical drama checking a mobile phone is a typical example.
How do you pronounce anachronism?
It is said uh-NAK-ruh-niz-um, with the stress on the second syllable.
