Existent or occurring in time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern: as, ancient authors; ancient records.Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age; very old: as, an ancient city; an ancient forest: generally, but not always, applied to things.Specifically, in law, of more than 20 or 30 years' duration: said of anything whose continued existence for such a period is taken into consideration in aid of defective proof by reason of lapse of memory, or absence of witnesses, or loss of documentary evidence: as, an ancient boundary.Past; former.In heraldry, formerly worn; now out of date or obsolete: thus, France ancient is azure semée with fleurs-de-lys or, while France modern is azure, 3 fleurs-de-lys, or 2 and 1.Ancient and old are generally applied only to things subject to change.Old may apply to things which have long existed and still exist, while ancient may apply to things of equal age which have ceased to exist: as, old laws, ancient republics.Ancient properly refers to a higher degree of age than old: as, old times, ancient times; old institutions, ancient institutions. An old-looking man is one who seems advanced in years, while an ancient-looking man is one who seems to have survived from a past age.Antique is applied either to a thing which has come down from antiquity or to that which is made in imitation of ancient style: thus, ancient binding is binding done by the ancients, while antique binding is an imitation of the ancient style.Antiquated, like antique, may apply to a style or fashion, but it properly means too old; it is a disparaging word applied to ideas, laws, customs, dress, etc., which are out of date or outgrown: as, antiquated laws should he repealed; his head was full of antiquated notions.Old-fashioned is a milder word, noting that which has gone out of fashion, but may still be thought of as pleasing.Quaint is old-fashioned with a pleasing oddity: as, a quaint garb, a quaint manner of speech, a quaint face.Obsolete is applied to that which has gone completely out of use: as, an obsolete word, idea, law.Obsolescent is applied to that which is in process of becoming obsolete.Ancient and antique are opposed to modern; old to new, young, or fresh; antiquated to permanent or established; old-fashioned to new-fashioned; obsolete to current or present. Aged, Elderly, Old, etc. See aged.n. One who lived in former ages; a person belonging to an early period of the world's history: generally used in the plural.n. A very old man; hence, an elder or person of influence; a governor or ruler, political or ecclesiastical.n. A senior.n. In the Inns of Court and Chancery in London, one who has a certain standing or seniority: thus, in Gray's Inn, the society consists of benchers, ancients, barristers, and students under the bar, the ancients being the oldest barristers.n. Ancient of days, the Supreme Being, in reference to his existence from eternity.n. A flag, banner, or standard; an ensign; especially, the flag or streamer of a ship.n. The bearer of a flag; a standard-bearer; an ensign.
