Definition of ancient. Meaning of ancient. Synonyms of ancient

Here you will find one or more explanations in English for the word ancient. Also in the bottom left of the page several parts of wikipedia pages related to the word ancient and, of course, ancient synonyms and on the right images related to the word ancient.

Definition of ancient

Ancient
Ancient An"cient, a. [OE. auncien, F. ancien, LL. antianus, fr. L. ante before. See Ante-, pref.] 1. Old; that happened or existed in former times, usually at a great distance of time; belonging to times long past; specifically applied to the times before the fall of the Roman empire; -- opposed to modern; as, ancient authors, literature, history; ancient days. Witness those ancient empires of the earth. --Milton. Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his namesake surnamed the Wise. --Fuller. 2. Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle. ``Our ancient bickerings.' --Shak. Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set. --Prov. xxii. 28. An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for quarters. --Scott. 3. Known for a long time, or from early times; -- opposed to recent or new; as, the ancient continent. A friend, perhaps, or an ancient acquaintance. --Barrow. 4. Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable. [Archaic] He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then would he seem very grave and ancient. --Holland. 5. Experienced; versed. [Obs.] Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the most ancient in the business of the realm. --Berners. 6. Former; sometime. [Obs.] They mourned their ancient leader lost. --Pope. Ancient demesne (Eng. Law), a tenure by which all manors belonging to the crown, in the reign of William the Conqueror, were held. The numbers, names, etc., of these were all entered in a book called Domesday Book. Ancient lights (Law), windows and other openings which have been enjoined without molestation for more than twenty years. In England, and in some of the United States, they acquire a prescriptive right. Syn: Old; primitive; pristine; antique; antiquated; old-fashioned; obsolete. Usage: Ancient, Antiquated, Obsolete, Antique, Antic, Old. -- Ancient is opposed to modern, and has antiquity; as, an ancient family, ancient landmarks, ancient institutions, systems of thought, etc. Antiquated describes that which has gone out of use or fashion; as, antiquated furniture, antiquated laws, rules, etc. Obsolete is commonly used, instead of antiquated, in reference to language, customs, etc.; as, an obsolete word or phrase, an obsolete expression. Antique is applied, in present usage, either to that which has come down from the ancients; as, an antique cameo, bust, etc.; or to that which is made to imitate some ancient work of art; as, an antique temple. In the days of Shakespeare, antique was often used for ancient; as, ``an antique song,' ``an antique Roman;' and hence, from singularity often attached to what is ancient, it was used in the sense of grotesque; as, ``an oak whose antique root peeps out; ' and hence came our present word antic, denoting grotesque or ridiculous. We usually apply both ancient and old to things subject to gradual decay. We say, an old man, an ancient record; but never, the old stars, an old river or mountain. In general, however, ancient is opposed to modern, and old to new, fresh, or recent. When we speak of a thing that existed formerly, which has ceased to exist, we commonly use ancient; as, ancient republics, ancient heroes; and not old republics, old heroes. But when the thing which began or existed in former times is still in existence, we use either ancient or old; as, ancient statues or paintings, or old statues or paintings; ancient authors, or old authors, meaning books.
Ancient
Ancient An"cient, n. 1. pl. Those who lived in former ages, as opposed to the moderns. 2. An aged man; a patriarch. Hence: A governor; a ruler; a person of influence. The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof. --Isa. iii. 14. 3. A senior; an elder; a predecessor. [Obs.] Junius and Andronicus . . . in Christianity . . . were his ancients. --Hooker. 4. pl. (Eng. Law) One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery. Council of Ancients (French Hist.), one of the two assemblies composing the legislative bodies in 1795. --Brande.

Meaning of ancient from wikipedia

- ancient history is the aggregate of past events from the beginning of recorded human history to the early middle ages . the span of
- ancient rome was a thriving civilization that began growing on the italian peninsula as early as the 8th century bc. in the ancient world
- ancient egypt was an ancient civilization of northeastern africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the nile river in what is now
- ancient greece was a civilization belonging to a period of greek history that lasted from the archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries
- ancient greek is the form of the greek language used during the periods of time spanning the c. 9th – 6th century bc, (known as archaic
- the roman empire (imperium romanum) was the post- republican period of the ancient roman civilization , characterised by an autocratic
- was an ancient greek kingdom . the kingdom, centered in the northeastern part of the greek peninsula was bordered by epirus to the west
- the growth of the population of ancient civilizations, the formation of ancient empire s concentrating political power, and the growth in
- ancient pueblo peoples or ancestral pueblo peoples were an ancient native american culture centered on the present-day four corners area
- the ancient near east was the home of early civilization s within a region roughly corresponding to the modern middle east : mesopotamia