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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancient
Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
In February, shortly after the Assad regime was toppled, Mr. Hamra and his father, Rabbi Yosef Hamra, finally returned with other Jews to see ancient sites that are remnants of many centuries of Syrian Jewish history.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 5 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
The dire wolf genome analyzed to determine what those changes were was extracted from two ancient samples—one a 13,000-year-old tooth found in Sheridan Pit, Ohio, the other a 72,000-year-old ear bone unearthed in American Falls, Idaho.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 7 Apr. 2025
In February, shortly after the Assad regime was toppled, Mr. Hamra and his father, Rabbi Yosef Hamra, finally returned with other Jews to see ancient sites that are remnants of many centuries of Syrian Jewish history.
—Ephrat Livni, New York Times, 5 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
-
Dewhurst was, at that point, a venerable stage star with six Tony nominations and two wins, and Reiley was a young journeyman actor who was often hired for the chorus or as an understudy.—
Mark Harris,
Vulture,
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
Noun
-
Besides reuniting with them, Wilmore, a church elder, is looking forward to getting back to face-to-face ministering and Williams can't wait to walk her two Labrador retrievers.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
15 Mar. 2025
-
Besides reuniting with them, Wilmore, a church elder, is looking forward to getting back to face-to-face ministering, and Williams can’t wait to walk her two Labrador retrievers.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2025
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
-
My father, Mila’s grandfather, after whom she is named, was five years old at the time.—
David Bezmozgis,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Desk calendar Your old phone can be repurposed as your personal calendar.—
Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report,
FOXNews.com,
6 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
-
Yet, no evidence of cooking or consumption has been found—unlike some other prehistoric sites where frog bones bear cut marks or signs of burning.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
That's when the two adult dogs and two puppies cornered Avery, barking and growling at her.—
Laura A. Bischoff,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2025
-
Previously, a child in Texas died in February, and an adult in New Mexico died in March.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Golden Knights’ initial version of innovation included deploying an actor dressed as a medieval knight to give rousing pregame speeches on the ice while carrying out a plot of a looming battle against an opponent.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
-
In medieval Europe, scribes often wrapped their books in a protective outer layer made from the hairy hides of local land mammals, such as deer or boar.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancient.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancient. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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