This meaning describes something very old, from a long time ago. It is often used for things from history or a long past time.
This is an ancient tree in the park.
They found ancient coins in the ground.
This meaning is about ancient societies and cultures long ago. It is often used when talking about old countries, buildings, or people from very early history.
Ancient Greece had many gods.
We study ancient Egypt in school.
This meaning means something is very old and often not working or useful anymore. People use it to talk about old ideas, tools, or things that are not modern.
His ideas are ancient and not helpful.
They use ancient technology here.
In historical British armies, an ancient was a low-ranking officer who carried the flag. This is an old and formal use of the word.
He worked as an ancient in the army.
The ancient carried the flag in battle.
This meaning shows something or someone very old in age but still living or present. It is often used for people or living things that have existed for a long time.
He is an ancient man with many stories.
The village has ancient trees still growing.
People sometimes say ‘ancient’ in everyday talk to mean old and slow, like machines or technology that do not work fast or well.
My phone is ancient and very slow now.
This computer is ancient and cannot run games.
