an·cient¹ (ān'shənt)
adj.

1. Of great age; very old.
2. Of or relating to times long past, especially those of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire (A.D. 476). See synonyms at old.
3. Old-fashioned; antiquated.
4. Having the qualities associated with age, wisdom, or long use; venerable.

n.

1. A very old person.
2. A person who lived in times long past.
3. ancients
   1. The peoples of the classical nations of antiquity.
   2. The ancient Greek and Roman authors.

[Middle English auncien, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *anteānus : Latin ante, before + -ānus, adj. and n. suff.]

anciently an'cient·ly adv.
ancientness an'cient·ness n.

an·cient² (ān'shənt)
n.

1. Archaic. An ensign; a flag.
2. Obsolete. A flag-bearer or lieutenant.

[Alteration of ENSIGN.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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