ancient

ancient¹

—ancientness, n.

/ayn"sheuhnt/, adj.

1. of or in time long past, esp. before the end of the Western Roman Empire A.D. 476: ancient history.

2. dating from a remote period; of great age: ancient rocks; ancient trees.

3. very old; aged: an ancient folk tale.

4. being old in wisdom and experience; venerable.

5. old-fashioned or antique.

n.

6. a person who lived in ancient times.

7. one of the classical writers of antiquity.

8. a very old or aged person, esp. if venerable or patriarchal.

9. ancients,

a. the civilized peoples, nations, or cultures of antiquity, as the Greeks, Romans, Hebrews, and Egyptians (usually prec. by the).

b. the writers, artists, and philosophers of ancient times, esp. those of Greece and Rome.

[1300-50; ME auncien < AF; OF ancien < VL *antianus, equiv. to L ante(a) before (see ANTE-) + -anus -AN; late ME forms with -t- developed by confusion with the prp. ending -nt (see -ENT)]

Syn. 2, 3. 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. ANTIQUATED connotes something too old or no longer useful: an antiquated building. ANTIQUE suggests a curious or pleasing quality in something old: antique furniture. OLD-FASHIONED may disparage something as being out of date or may approve something old as being superior: an old-fashioned hat; old-fashioned courtesy.

Ant. 2, 3. new, modern.

ancient²

/ayn"sheuhnt/, n. Obs.

1. the bearer of a flag.

2. a flag, banner, or standard; ensign.

[1545-55; var. of ENSIGN by confusion with ANCIENT¹]

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