ancient

Universal Words adjective 1 belonging to a period of history that is thousands of years in the past: ancient history / civilization * ancient Greece 2 very old; having existed for a very long time: an ancient oak tree * ancient monuments * (humorous) He's ancient-he must be at least fifty! 3 (the ancients) noun [pl.] the people who lived in ancient times, especially the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans anciently adverb (rare): The area where the market was anciently held (= in ancient times).