ancient

Meanings

Adjective

• Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.
• Existent or occurring in time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern.
• Relating to antiquity as a primarily European historical period; the time before the Middle Ages.
• Experienced; versed.
• Former; sometime.

Noun

• A person who is very old.
• A person who lived in ancient times.
• One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.
• A senior; an elder; a predecessor.
• A flag, banner, standard or ensign.
• the bearer of a flag; ensign

Related

Similar words

• antique

Opposite words

• modern

Origin

• From Middle English auncyen, borrowed from Old French ancien ("old"), from Vulgar Latin root *anteanus, from Latin ante ("before"). Compare antique.
• Corruption of ensign.