Archaic Definition

är-kāĭk

adjective

Relating to, being, or characteristic of a much earlier, often more primitive period, especially one that develops into a classical stage of civilization.

An archaic bronze statuette; Archaic Greece.

American Heritage

Belonging to an earlier period; ancient.

Webster's New World

No longer current or applicable; antiquated.

Archaic laws.

American Heritage

Antiquated; old-fashioned.

Webster's New World

Relating to, being, or characteristic of words and language that were once in regular use but are now relatively rare and suggestive of an earlier style or period.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

noun

A member of an archaic population of Homo.

American Heritage

(archaeology, US, usually capitalized) A general term for the prehistoric period intermediate between the earliest period (‘Paleo-Indian’, ‘Paleo-American’, ‘American‐paleolithic’, &c.) of human presence in the Western Hemisphere, and the most recent prehistoric period (‘Woodland’, etc.).

Wiktionary

(paleoanthropology) (A member of) An archaic variety of Homo sapiens.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Archaic

Noun

Singular:

archaic

Plural:

archaics

Origin of Archaic

From archaism (“ancient or obsolete phrase or expression”) or from French archaïque, ultimately from Ancient Greek ἀρχαικός (arkhaikos, “old-fashioned”), from ἀρχαῖος (arkhaios, “from the beginning, antiquated, ancient, old”), from ἀρχή (arkhē, “beginning, origin”), from ἄρχω (arkhō, “I am first”).

From Wiktionary
Greek arkhāïkos old-fashioned from arkhaios ancient from arkhē beginning from arkhein to begin

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition