ancient
1 of 3adjective
an·cient ˈān(t)-shənt 
ˈāŋ(k)-shənt
1
: having had an existence of many years
ancient customs
2
: of or relating to a remote period, to a time early in history, or to those living in such a period or time
ancient Egyptians
especially : of or relating to the historical period beginning with the earliest known civilizations and extending to the fall of the western Roman Empire in a.d. 476
studied both ancient and modern history
3
: having the qualities of age or long existence: such as
a
: venerable
b
: old-fashioned, antique
ancientness noun
ancient
2 of 3noun (1)
1
: a person who lived in ancient times:
a
ancients plural : the civilized people of antiquity
especially : those of the classical nations (see classical sense 2a)
b
: one of the classical authors
Plutarch and other ancients
2
: an aged living being
a penniless ancient
3
: an ancient coin
ancient
3 of 3noun (2)
1
archaic : ensign, standard, flag
2
obsolete : the bearer of an ensign
Synonyms
Adjective
- aged
- age-old
- antediluvian
- antique
- dateless
- hoar
- hoary
- immemorial
- old
- venerable
Noun (1)
- elder
- geriatric
- golden-ager
- old-timer
- oldster
- senior
- senior citizen
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective The people in the village still observe the ancient customs of their ancestors. a grove of ancient oak trees The practice was more common in ancient times than it is now. the gods of the ancient Romans She studied both ancient and modern history.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun (1)
Middle English ancien, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *anteanus, from Latin ante before — more at ante-
Noun (2)
alteration of ensign
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (1)
1502, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Noun (2)
1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing ancient
Kids Definition
ancient 1 of 2
adjective
an·cient ˈān-shənt
1
: very old
ancient customs
2
: of or relating to a time long past or to those living in such a time
ancient Egypt
ancient
2 of 2noun
1
: a very old person
2
ancients plural : the civilized peoples of ancient times and especially of Greece and Rome
Legal Definition
ancient
adjective
an·cient
: existing from a long past date
specifically : having had an uninterrupted existence of 20 to 30 or more years
Note: Things and especially documents that are ancient benefit from a presumption that they are valid even though proof of their validity may be unavailable due to lapse of memory, absence of witnesses, or loss of documents.
ancientness
noun
1
as in maturity
the state of being an old person if nothing else, the patriarch had achieved a degree of ancientness worthy of veneration Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- maturity
- age
- agedness
- elderliness
- senility
- feebleness
- anecdotage
- senescence
- second childhood
- dotage
- anility
- infirmity
- venerableness
- senectitude
- caducity
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- youth
- freshness
- youthfulness
- youngness
- minority
- adolescence
- prime
- immaturity
- juvenility
- nonage
2
as in antiquity
the state of being something old the ancientness of the papyrus was authenticated by carbon dating Synonyms & Similar Words
- antiquity
- antiquation
- agedness
- hoariness
- datedness
- age
- obsoleteness
- agelessness
- obsolescence
- fustiness
- old-fashionedness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- newness
- modernity
- freshness
- currency
- novelty
- modernness
- recentness
- currentness