English Meaning & Definitions
Belonging to an earlier period; old-fashioned, outmoded, or no longer in common use.
- “The company's archaic computer system was unable to handle the modern software requirements.”
- “He used an archaic form of address that surprised the younger members of the audience.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “archaic”.
Derived from the Greek word 'arkhaikos', from 'arkhaios' meaning 'ancient' or 'beginning', which itself comes from 'arkhe' meaning 'beginning' or 'origin'. It entered English in the mid-19th century, originally used to describe early Greek art, before expanding to describe anything belonging to an earlier period.
Think of an 'arch' (a very old architectural feature) that is 'aic' (ancient in character).
Frequently Asked Questions About “archaic”
1. What is the meaning of “archaic” in English?
In English, archaic (adjective) is defined as: “Belonging to an earlier period; old-fashioned, outmoded, or no longer in common use.”.
2. How do you use “archaic” in a sentence?
“The company's archaic computer system was unable to handle the modern software requirements.”
3. What are English synonyms of “archaic”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “archaic”?
Derived from the Greek word 'arkhaikos', from 'arkhaios' meaning 'ancient' or 'beginning', which itself comes from 'arkhe' meaning 'beginning' or 'origin'. It entered English in the mid-19th century, originally used to describe early Greek art, before expanding to describe anything belonging to an earlier period.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.