1
: having the characteristics of the language of the past and surviving chiefly in specialized uses
an archaic word
Note: In this dictionary the label archaic is affixed to words and senses relatively common in earlier times but infrequently used in present-day English.
2
: of, relating to, or characteristic of an earlier or more primitive time : antiquated
archaic legal traditions
3
capitalized
: of or belonging to the early or formative phases of a culture or a period of artistic development
especially
: of or belonging to the period leading up to the classical period of Greek culture
4
: surviving from an earlier period
specifically
: typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage
5
capitalized
: of or relating to the period from about 8000 b.c. to 1000 b.c. and the North American cultures of that time
Synonyms
Examples of archaic in a Sentence
The author is a bluestocking, with a weakness for etymology and archaic religious texts, her body of work lauded for revealing the sacred in the ordinary.
—
Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008
Europe's economic growth and productivity, Judt reminds us, for all the horror stories about archaic work regulations and inflexible labor markets, has remained impressive up to the current moment.
—John T. McGreevy, Commonweal, 24 Mar. 2006
Between the upper limit of radiocarbon dating (about 50 ka) and the lower limit of radiogenic potassium dating (about 0.5 Ma) there used to exist a chronological lacuna that I call the Gap. This temporal range encompasses the transition of archaic humans into fully modern forms, so the lack of a reliable means of dating fossils from the Gap was disconcerting.
—Ervan G. Garrison, Physics Today, October 2001
The company needs to update its archaic computer systems.
Kathryn Harrison, New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008
Europe's economic growth and productivity, Judt reminds us, for all the horror stories about archaic work regulations and inflexible labor markets, has remained impressive up to the current moment.
—John T. McGreevy, Commonweal, 24 Mar. 2006
Between the upper limit of radiocarbon dating (about 50 ka) and the lower limit of radiogenic potassium dating (about 0.5 Ma) there used to exist a chronological lacuna that I call the Gap. This temporal range encompasses the transition of archaic humans into fully modern forms, so the lack of a reliable means of dating fossils from the Gap was disconcerting.
—Ervan G. Garrison, Physics Today, October 2001
The company needs to update its archaic computer systems.
Recent Examples on the Web
Coppola’s emphasis on white protagonist Cesar is, in Hollywood liberal terms, facile and archaic.
—Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
While Walter’s traditional village represents an archaic and beautiful (though flawed) way of living, Nina’s sojourns into the mountains are like time-traveling to a worse, more restrictive way of life.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
Due to a dearth of fossil evidence, details on how these archaic human ancestors lived have been scarce.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 July 2024
But momentum has taken a hit after being removed from Edinburgh 2026 even though the Commonwealth Games is largely deemed as archaic, its relevance dwindling over the decades, and a relic of a bygone era.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for archaic 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Armond White, National Review, 4 Oct. 2024
While Walter’s traditional village represents an archaic and beautiful (though flawed) way of living, Nina’s sojourns into the mountains are like time-traveling to a worse, more restrictive way of life.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 3 Oct. 2024
Due to a dearth of fossil evidence, details on how these archaic human ancestors lived have been scarce.
—Katie Hunt, CNN, 3 July 2024
But momentum has taken a hit after being removed from Edinburgh 2026 even though the Commonwealth Games is largely deemed as archaic, its relevance dwindling over the decades, and a relic of a bygone era.
—Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for archaic
Articles Related to archaic
Dictionary Entries Near archaic
Cite this Entry
“Archaic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaic. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
archaic
adjective
ar·cha·ic
är-ˈkā-ik 
: of, relating to, characteristic of, or surviving from an earlier time
especially
: no longer in general use
the archaic words "methinks" and "saith"
Medical Definition
archaic
adjective
ar·cha·ic
är-ˈkā-ik
1
: typical of a previously dominant evolutionary stage
archaic features of a fossil skull
2
: having the characteristics of primitive humans and their animal forebears especially as represented in the unconscious and appearing in behavior as manifestations of the unconscious
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share