ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ANCIENT definition: 1. of or from a long time ago, having lasted for a very long time: 2. very old: 3. used to refer…. Learn more.

Define ancient. ancient synonyms, ancient pronunciation, ancient translation, English dictionary definition of ancient. adj. 1. Of, relating to, or belonging to times long past, especially before the fall …

Ancient, antiquated, antique, old-fashioned refer to something dating from the past. Ancient implies existence or first occurrence in a distant past: an ancient custom.

Feb 21, 2026 · ancient (comparative ancienter or more ancient, superlative ancientest or most ancient) Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.

Ancient or Acient are two words that are confused and usually misspelled due to their similarity. Check which one to use!

There are 21 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word ancient, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Ancient generally refers to a remote period of time in human history, typically prior to the Middle Ages or any period of significance considered to have occurred in the distant past.

In informal use, something that happened long ago and that is not important any more is ancient history.

Ancient means belonging to the distant past, especially to the period in history before the end of the Roman Empire. They believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning.