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.
: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated archaic legal traditionscapitalized : 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 : surviving from an earlier period specifically : typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stagecapitalized : of or relating to the period from about 8000 b.c. to 1000 b.c. and the North American cultures of that time
https://merriam.atlassian.net/browse/MWSITE-9211 --> archaicallyold, 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 mineancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.
ancient accounts of dragonsvenerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.
the family's venerable patriarchantique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.
collected antique Chippendale furnitureantiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.
antiquated teaching methodsarchaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.
the play used archaic language to convey a sense of periodobsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.
a computer that makes earlier models obsoleteQuotes--> 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
Extra Examples--> The company needs to update its archaic computer systems.Recent Examples on the Web But aside from starring in legendary projects, her fashion choices have been the opposite of archaic. — Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 30 July 2024 That does not even mention the city’s crumbling and archaic infrastructure. — Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2024 There’s more to it than that, but for gamers who aren’t fluent in the mechanics of battle arena strategy, watching a game of League of Legends — let alone playing one — can often feel confusing and, to some, kind of archaic. — Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 25 June 2024 Its postcard charm, however, has always had an archaic counterpart: cash. — Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for archaic
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'archaic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.