archaic

[ahr-key-ik]

adjective

1. marked by the characteristics of an earlier period; antiquated.

   an archaic manner; an archaic notion.

2. (of a linguistic form) commonly used in an earlier time but rare in present-day usage except to suggest the older time, as in religious rituals or historical novels. Examples.

   thou; wast; methinks; forsooth.

3. forming the earliest stage; prior to full development.

   the archaic period of psychoanalytic research.

4. (often initial capital letter),  pertaining to or designating the style of the fine arts, especially painting and sculpture, developed in Greece from the middle 7th to the early 5th century b.c., chiefly characterized by an increased emphasis on the human figure in action, naturalistic proportions and anatomical structure, simplicity of volumes, forms, or design, and the evolution of a definitive style for the narrative treatment of subject matter.

5. primitive; ancient; old.

   an archaic form of animal life.

archaic

/ ɑːˈkeɪɪk /

adjective

1. belonging to or characteristic of a much earlier period; ancient

2. out of date; antiquated

   an archaic prison system

3. (of idiom, vocabulary, etc) characteristic of an earlier period of a language and not in ordinary use

Usage

Archaic is used as a label in this dictionary for terms and definitions that were current roughly as late as 1900 but are now employed only as conscious archaisms, as described and exemplified in definition 2 above. An archaic term is generally more recognizable, as when encountered in literature, than one labeled Obsolete.

Other Word Forms

• archaically adverb
• pseudoarchaic adjective
• pseudoarchaically adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of archaic¹

First recorded in 1825–35; from French archaïque, or directly from Greek archaïkós “antiquated, old-fashioned,” equivalent to archaî(os) “old” + -ikos adjective suffix; -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of archaic¹

C19: from French archaïque, from Greek arkhaïkos, from arkhaios ancient, from arkhē beginning, from arkhein to begin

Example Sentences

Ms Malone said she was relieved and gratified to know officers were challenging "archaic beliefs and questioning the integrity of those responsible for administering policy and procedure".

From BBC

The archaic ways of Parliament, that some people love, can create barriers for disabled MPs.

From BBC

That alone would be an exciting spin on an oft-told story, albeit one that still paints its woman lead as an archaically deranged stereotype.

From Salon

Enescu’s score weaves East and West, the archaic and the modern, with the ancient Greek source of the myth turned Eastward.

From Los Angeles Times

"We're not archaic, we pride ourselves on inclusivity - but what is pivotal to our motto is that children represent the school."

From BBC

Related Words

• ancient 
• antiquated 
• obsolete 
• old-fashioned 
• outmoded 
• primitive