A2 2K

Ancient

UK /["/ˈeɪnʃənt/"]/ US /["/ˈeɪnʃənt/"]/ Pronunciation

Definition

belonging to a period of history that is thousands of years in the past

Listen to definition

In simple words: Very old or from a long time ago.

Examples

• Archaeologists are excavating the ruined temples of this **ancient civilization**.
• **ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome**
• the ancient city of Petra
• an ancient oak tree
• ancient traditions/culture
• the ancient Japanese art of origami
• He's ancient—he must be at least fifty!
• The man looked positively ancient.
• The area is still covered by huge ancient forests.

Usage notes

Used to describe something belonging to a distant past, often related to civilizations or artifacts. Avoid in casual conversations unless discussing history or archaeology.

Grammar pattern

standalone adjective

Memory hint

Think 'ancient' like 'ancestors' — both have roots in long ago times.

Collocations

• be
• look
• extremely
• fairly
• very

Synonyms

• archaic
• old
• antique
• historical
• primitive

Antonyms

• modern
• new
• contemporary

Common mistakes

• Confused with 'antique' which specifically means old items with value.
• Overused to describe anything old, rather than specifically old in the historical sense.
• Incorrectly pronounced, often with stress on the second syllable.