ancient

A2 Topic:Culture & History

Also spelled antient

US /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #1718

Meanings

1

adj
Belonging to a time very long ago in history.

We visited the ruins of an ancient Roman city.
2

adj
Very old.

My grandfather still drives an ancient car that he bought in the 1970s.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · very old. aged

More eldernforerunner hoary old oldster predecessor

Opposites

modern

Word family

Forms ancientsantients

Derived forms aadaopaanciencyancientismanciently ancientnessancientryancientsnonancientsuperancientunancient

Related forms antic antiquarian antiquary antiquated antique antiquity

Appears in

Phrases (4)

See all

ancient history
the history of early civilisations in the distant past

Adjective + noun
ancient astronaut
an imagined visitor from space said to have reached Earth in ancient times

Adjective + noun
ancient manuscript
a handwritten document surviving from a very distant period of history

Adjective + noun
ancient temple
a building for worship dating from a very remote historical period

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English auncyen, from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus, composed of Latin ante (“before”) + -ānus (adjective-forming suffix). The non-etymological /t/ is by analogy with the common ending -ent.

auncyen Middle English ancien Old French *anteānus la-vul ante Old French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Culture & History

External links

# ancient

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈeɪn.ʃənt/
**Frequency rank:** 1718

## Meanings
1. Belonging to a time very long ago in history.
2. Very old.

## Examples
- We visited the ruins of an ancient Roman city.
- My grandfather still drives an ancient car that he bought in the 1970s.

## Synonyms
- eldern
- forerunner
- hoary
- old
- oldster
- predecessor

## Antonyms
- modern

## Derived Forms
- aadaopa
- anciency
- ancientism
- anciently
- ancientness
- ancientry
- ancients
- nonancient
- superancient
- unancient

## Related Forms
- antic
- antiquarian
- antiquary
- antiquated
- antique
- antiquity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: auncyen
- Root: ancien
- Root: *anteānus
- Root: ante

## Etymology
From Middle English auncyen, from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus, composed of Latin ante (“before”) + -ānus (adjective-forming suffix). The non-etymological /t/ is by analogy with the common ending -ent.

## AI Etymology
Ancient comes from Middle English auncyen, from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus, composed of Latin ante (“before”) plus -ānus (adjective-forming suffix). The non-etymological /t/ is by analogy with the common ending -ent. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern adjectival form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Culture & History

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