Webster's English Dictionary

Enter the word to look up:

ancient

Cross references:
  1. old                   
 
1. an.cient \'a-n-sh*nt, -ch*nt, 'a-n(k)-sh*nt\ aj [ME ancien, fr. MF, fr. 
   (assumed) VL anteanus, fr. L ante bef]ore - more at ANTE- 1: having had an 
   existence of many years  2: of or relating to a remote period, to a time 
   early in history, or to those living in such a period or time; specif : of 
   or relating to the historical period beginning with the earliest known 
   civilizations and extending to the fall of the western Roman Empire A.D. 6 
   3: having the qualities of age or long existence :  3a: VENERABLE  3b: 
   OLD-FASHIONED, ANTIQUE  - an.cient.ly av
2. ancient n 1: an aged living being  2: one who lived in ancient times :  
   pl  2a: the civilized peoples of antiquity; esp : those of the classica l 
   nations 2b: one of the classical authors 
3. ancient n [alter. of ensign] archaic  1: ENSIGN, STANDARD, FLAG  obs  2: 
   the bearer of an ensign