archaic

adjective

ar·​cha·​ic är-ˈkā-ik 

1

: having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses

an archaic word

Note: In this dictionary the label archaic is affixed to words and senses relatively common in earlier times but infrequently used in present-day English.

2

: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated

archaic legal traditions

3

capitalized : of or belonging to the early or formative phases of a culture or a period of artistic development

especially : of or belonging to the period leading up to the classical period of Greek culture

4

: surviving from an earlier period

specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage

5

capitalized : of or relating to the period from about 8000 b.c. to 1000 b.c. and the North American cultures of that time

archaically

är-ˈkā-i-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• antiquated
• dated
• démodé
• demoded
• fossilized
• kaput
• kaputt
• medieval
• mediaeval
• moribund
• mossy
• moth-eaten
• neolithic
• Noachian
• obsolete
• out-of-date
• outdated
• outmoded
• outworn
• passé
• prehistoric
• prehistorical
• rusty
• Stone Age
• superannuated

Choose the Right Synonym for archaic

old, ancient, venerable, antique, antiquated, archaic, obsolete mean having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past.

old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses

an old sweater of mine

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

ancient accounts of dragons

venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

Examples of archaic in a Sentence

The author is a bluestocking, with a weakness for etymology and archaic religious texts, her body of work lauded for revealing the sacred in the ordinary. —Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008

Europe's economic growth and productivity, Judt reminds us, for all the horror stories about archaic work regulations and inflexible labor markets, has remained impressive up to the current moment. —John T. McGreevy, Commonweal, 24 Mar. 2006

Between the upper limit of radiocarbon dating (about 50 ka) and the lower limit of radiogenic potassium dating (about 0.5 Ma) there used to exist a chronological lacuna that I call the Gap. This temporal range encompasses the transition of archaic humans into fully modern forms, so the lack of a reliable means of dating fossils from the Gap was disconcerting. —Ervan G. Garrison, Physics Today, October 2001

The company needs to update its archaic computer systems.

Recent Examples on the Web

In this still, Ella Hunt (who plays Gilda Radner in the film) takes a ride on the archaic crane. —Beatrice Verhoeven, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Nov. 2024

Before cuneiform, however, there was an archaic script using abstract pictographic signs called proto-cuneiform. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024

Meade said that restrictive voting laws for people who have come out of prison in Florida stem from archaic Jim Crow-era legislation passed when voter suppression of African Americans surged during Segregation. —Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2024

Yet as societies and technologies evolve, what will become of the archaic winking-face emoji? —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French or Greek; French archaïque, from Greek archaïkos, from archaios

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing archaic

• archaic smile

Kids Definition

archaic

adjective

ar·​cha·​ic är-ˈkā-ik 

: of, relating to, characteristic of, or surviving from an earlier time

especially : no longer in general use

the archaic words "methinks" and "saith"

Medical Definition

archaic

adjective

ar·​cha·​ic är-ˈkā-ik 

1

: typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage

archaic features of a fossil skull

2

: having the characteristics of primitive humans and their animal forebears especially as represented in the unconscious and appearing in behavior as manifestations of the unconscious