• IPA: /ˈeɪn.(t)ʃənt/

ancient (comparative ancienter, superlative ancientest)

1. Having last#Verb|lasted from a remote#Adjective|remote period; having been of long duration; of great#Adjective|great age#Noun|age, very old.

   an ancient city  an ancient forest

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword: The Turk Street Mile”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, OCLC 483591931 ↗, page 2 ↗:

     'I understand that the district was considered a sort of sanctuary,' the Chief was saying. 'An Alsatia like the ancient one behind the Strand, or the Saffron Hill before the First World War. They tell me there was a recognized swag-market down here.'

2. Existent or occurring in time#Noun|time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern.

   an ancient author  an ancient empire

3. (history) Relating to antiquity as a primarily European#Adjective|European historical period; the time before the Middle Ages.
4. (obsolete) experienced#Adjective|Experienced; versed#Adjective|versed.

   • Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the most ancient in the business of the realm.

5. (obsolete) Former; sometime.
   • 1715, Homer; [Alexander] Pope, transl., “Book II”, in The Iliad of Homer, volume I, London: Printed by W[illiam] Bowyer, for Bernard Lintott between the Temple-Gates, OCLC 670734254 ↗:

     They mourned their ancient leader lost.

• (very old) aged, eldern, hoary; see also Thesaurus:old

• modern

• antic
• antique
• antiquary
• antiquarian
• antiquated
• antiquity

• French: ancien, antique
• German: uralt, antik
• Italian: antico
• Portuguese: antigo
• Russian: дре́вний
• Spanish: antiguo

• French: ancien
• German: alt
• Italian: antico
• Portuguese: antigo
• Russian: дре́вний
• Spanish: antiguo

• Portuguese: antigo

ancient (plural ancients)

1. A person who is very old.
2. A person who lived in ancient times.
3. (UK, legal) One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.
4. (obsolete) A senior; an elder; a predecessor.

   • Junius and Andronicus […] in Christianity […] were his ancients.

• (person who is very old) geriatric, oldster, senior citizen; see also Thesaurus:old person
• (person who lived in ancient times) antique
• (predecessor) antecessor, forerunner; see also Thesaurus:predecessor

ancient (plural ancients)

1. (heraldry, archaic) A flag, banner, standard or ensign.
   • 1719, Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

     I got all things ready as he had directed, and waited the next morning with the boat washed clean, her ancient and pendants out, and everything to accommodate his guests..

2. (obsolete, rare) the bearer of a flag; ensign