ancient
13 synonyms and 1 antonyms for ancient, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Adj — Belonging to a very distant, long-past time, especially before the Middle Ages.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Antonyms
How to use ancient
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus, built from ante ("before").
Full origin of ancient →Frequently asked questions
What does “ancient” mean?
The word “ancient” means belonging to a very distant, long-past time, especially before the Middle Ages. In plain terms, very old, from a long time ago — often used for civilizations, ruins, or traditions from thousands of years back.
How do you pronounce “ancient”?
“Ancient” is pronounced AYN-shuhnt (/ˈeɪn.ʃənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “ancient” in a sentence?
Here is “ancient” used in a sentence: “The museum houses artifacts from ancient Egypt.”
What is another word for “ancient”?
Words with a similar meaning to “ancient” include eldern, hoary, oldster, senior citizen and forerunner.
What is the opposite of “ancient”?
The opposite of “ancient” — its antonyms — is modern.
What part of speech is “ancient”?
Depending on how it is used, “ancient” can be an adjective and a noun.
Where does the word “ancient” come from?
The word “ancient” comes from Vulgar Latin. From Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin anteanus, built from ante ("before").
Is “ancient” a common word?
“Ancient” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
What is the difference between ancient and old?
Old simply means having existed for a long time and is relative; a ten-year-old phone is old. Ancient means extremely old, belonging to a very distant past, usually thousands of years ago and before the Middle Ages. All ancient things are old, but only the oldest, from long-vanished eras, count as ancient.
What is the difference between ancient and antique?
Antique usually describes valuable old objects, typically at least 100 years old, like furniture or jewelry. Ancient refers to things from a far more distant era, thousands of years ago, such as ancient Rome or Egypt. An antique clock is old and collectible; an ancient artifact belongs to a long-lost civilization.
What time period is considered ancient?
Ancient history generally covers the earliest civilizations up to roughly the fall of the Western Roman Empire in AD 476, when the Middle Ages began. It includes cultures like ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, and China. Anything before recorded history is prehistoric, and anything after ancient times is medieval or modern.
What is the opposite of ancient?
The main opposites are modern, new, recent, and contemporary, all describing things from the present or recent past. Where ancient points to the distant past and long-gone eras, these words point to today's world. Current and up-to-date also contrast with ancient when describing ideas, technology, or style.