I. an ‧ cient 1 W2 /ˈeɪnʃ ə nt/ BrE AmE adjective
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: ancien , from Vulgar Latin anteanus , from Latin ante 'before' ]
1 . belonging to a time long ago in history, especially thousands of years ago OPP modern :
the ancient civilizations of Asia
ancient Greece/Egypt/Rome
the religion of ancient Egypt
2 . having existed for a very long time OPP new :
an ancient walled city
an ancient forest
the ancient art of calligraphy
3 . very old – used humorously:
That photo makes me look ancient!
4 . ancient history
a) the history of ancient societies, such as Greece or Rome:
a professor of ancient history
b) informal if you say that something is ancient history, you mean that it happened a long time ago and is not important now:
It’s all ancient history and I’m not upset any more.
II. ancient 2 BrE AmE noun
the ancients [plural] people who lived long ago, especially the Greeks and Romans:
The ancients believed that the Sun and Moon were planets.