1
as in venerable
dating or surviving from the distant past
Rome's ancient ruins remain carefully preserved even in the midst of the bustle of the modern city
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in older
being of advanced years and especially past middle age
used to think that age 40 was ancient until I turned 40 myself
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in primitive
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
the ancient Inca built a vast network of roads
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in elder
a person of advanced years
ancients in the tribe are accorded great respect and valued for their wisdom
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in antiquity
the state of being something old
the ancientness of the papyrus was authenticated by carbon dating
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancient
Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
As an ancient threat endangers Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the unlikely friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
No full moons, no silver bullets, no ancients curses and the like, just a title card at the beginning of the film stating that wolf man sightings have been a phenomenon since indigenious peoples ruled the Americas.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancient
Adjective
Based on the location of the graveyard, its age and scale, archaeologists concluded the horses belonged to an ancient Roman military unit stationed in the area during the second century A.D., officials said.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
As an ancient threat endangers Vikings and dragons alike on the isle of Berk, the unlikely friendship between Hiccup, an inventive Viking, and Toothless, a Night Fury dragon, becomes the key to both species forging a new future together.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
Read More: These 5 Ancient Civilizations Treasured Their Pets
Coping with Critters
The discovery of archeological remains has helped scientists better understand how ancients coped with bothersome critters.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2025
No full moons, no silver bullets, no ancients curses and the like, just a title card at the beginning of the film stating that wolf man sightings have been a phenomenon since indigenious peoples ruled the Americas.
—Scott Phillips, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancient
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancient
Adjective
-
The Pitt was created by R. Scott Gemmill, a former writer and producer on ER, the venerable Emmy-winning series that ran 15 seasons on NBC.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Kronos Quartet Over more than five decades, musicians in this venerable contemporary classical group have paid homage to Sun Ra and incorporated space sounds recorded by NASA into their music.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
The nonprofit is offering a $500 reward per set for the return of the antique doors.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Among the weird things people left behind were a full sheet of uncut $2 bills, a toilet seat, silicone butt pads, a rattlesnake preserved in a jar of whiskey and an antique French guide to performing exorcisms.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Morales' older brother, Ricardo, confirmed his death in a post on X, formerly Twitter.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Not content just to confirm its arrival, Veach deftly sliced a slit in the plastic to minimize any potential forensic trail, removed the new game and swapped in the old version before carefully rewrapping it.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Part of what makes America beautiful is its special creatures like the prehistoric-looking Mojave desert tortoise, whose survival in Nevada is more dire since a federal grant awarded to protect it from being run over by cars is among the frozen grants.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
In more recent years, however, prehistoric dinosaurs, speeding zombies, and even ancient Greek heroes have invaded the city, thanks to a plethora of movie makers choosing it as their primary filming location.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Also, the pass includes several mountain excursions and free admission to more than 500 museums throughout Switzerland. Not to be missed is the medieval town of Gruyères about 80 miles from Geneva.—
Jeryl Brunner,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
The stakes of the story become ever more human-on-human, with zombies largely relegated to one epic battle that sits at the cinematic junction of western, medieval and samurai.—
Mike Hale,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
What To Know Between October 2024 and January 2025, at least five elderly victims in Pittsburgh were tricked into handing over large sums of cash.—
Raja Krishnamoorthi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Charges have been filed against an Oklahoma woman who is being accused of laundering nearly $1.5 million in funds obtained through online romance scams, targeting elderly women.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For one thing, human brains appear to be wired for short term gains, a kind of primal instinct of survival that puts a premium on what could be captured today.—
Harry Kraemer,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
At their heart is some primal fear: that evil, or evil people, can control us without our even realizing it.—
Alissa Wilkinson,
New York Times,
7 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancient. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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