ancient
ancient
/ˈeɪnʃənt/
1 belonging to a period of history that is thousands of years in the past
Archaeologists are excavating the ruined temples of this ancient civilization.
ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome
the ancient city of Petra
2 very old; having existed for a very long time
an ancient oak tree
ancient traditions/culture
the ancient Japanese art of origami
(humorous) He's ancient—he must be at least fifty!
3 the ancients noun plural the people who lived in ancient times, especially the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans Word Origin
late Middle English: from Old French ancien, based on Latin ante ‘before’.
e.g.