ancient

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a very old person
  2. noun a person who lived in ancient times
  3. adjective belonging to times long past especially of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire

Etymology

From Middle English auncyen, from Old French ancien, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus, composed of Latin ante (“before”) + -ānus (adjective-forming suffix). The non-etymological /t/ is by analogy with the common ending -ent.

In classic literature

Synonyms

antediluvian

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