Ancient vs. Old: Difference and Comparison
Edited by Muazma Batool — By Muneeza Rehman — Updated on September 11, 2023
Ancient pertains to times long past, often millennia ago, whereas old refers to something that has existed for a significant but comparatively shorter duration.
Difference Between Ancient and Old
Ancient and old, while both indicating age, differ in the depth of their temporal scope. Ancient is reserved for things dating back thousands of years, often rooted in the early stages of human civilization. This term brings to mind empires, ruins, and age-old traditions, such as the ancient Egyptians or the ancient Greek philosophers. In contrast, old is a more relative term. It could refer to a building a couple of centuries old, a person in their twilight years, or technology from a few decades ago.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
Furthermore, ancient holds an aura of reverence and awe. Things deemed ancient are often respected for their historical significance, offering insights into epochs gone by. They are remnants of ages that have deeply influenced modern culture and understanding. However, old may not always command such reverence. It may simply denote something that isn't new, like an old car or an old pair of shoes.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
It's crucial to appreciate the relativity of the term old. In the context of human life, an 80-year-old person is old. However, in the context of architecture, an 80-year-old building might not be considered very old, especially when compared to ancient structures like the Colosseum in Rome. Ancient, in its specificity, bypasses such relativity, always pointing to the distant past.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 11, 2023
The distinction between ancient and old can sometimes blur, especially when dealing with subjects like art, manuscripts, or artifacts. An old manuscript might be a few centuries old, but an ancient manuscript would be much older, likely dating back millennia. The critical takeaway is that while all ancient things are old, not all old things can be classified as ancient.
Levi
Sep 11, 2023
Ancient vs. Old Comparison Chart
Contextual relativity
Always refers to the distant past
Relative to the context (e.g., an old phone vs. an old building)
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 11, 2023
Connotations
Reverence, historical significance
Simply denotes age, may or may not have historical significance
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
Cultural weight
Often heavy cultural or historical importance
Can be mundane or significant depending on context
Jonathan
Sep 11, 2023
Ancient vs. Old Definitions
◉Ancient
Of or relating to times long past.
He studied ancient scriptures to gain insights.
Olivia
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
Of an earlier period or former times.
I love the old architecture of this town.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
◉Ancient
Of, relating to, or belonging to times long past, especially before the fall of the Western Roman Empire (AD 476)
ancient cultures.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having lived or existed for a relatively long time; far advanced in years or life.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Of great age; very old
"The males live up to six months—positively ancient, for a bee" (Elizabeth Royte).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
(Archaic) Having the qualities associated with age, wisdom, or long use; venerable
"You seem a sober, ancient Gentleman by your habit" (Shakespeare).
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Of or relating to a long life or to people who have had long lives
a ripe old age.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having or exhibiting the physical characteristics of age
a prematurely old face.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having or exhibiting the wisdom of age; mature
a child who is old for his years.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having lived or existed for a specified length of time
She was 12 years old.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.
an ancient city
an ancient forest
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Skilled or able through long experience; practiced
He is an old hand at doing home repairs.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Existent or occurring in time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern.
an ancient author
an ancient empire
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Belonging to a remote or former period in history; ancient
old fossils.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
(history) Relating to antiquity as a primarily European historical period; the time before the Middle Ages.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
often Old Being the earlier or earliest of two or more related objects, stages, versions, or periods.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having become slower in flow and less vigorous in action. Used of a river.
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May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having become simpler in form and of lower relief. Used of a landform.
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May 03, 2023
◉Old
Used as an intensive
Come back any old time. Don't give me any ol' excuse.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Old; that happened or existed in former times, usually at a great distance of time; belonging to times long past; specifically applied to the times before the fall of the Roman empire; - opposed to modern; as, ancient authors, literature, history; ancient days.
Witness those ancient empires of the earth.
Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his namesake surnamed the Wise.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Of an object, concept, relationship, etc., having existed for a relatively long period of time.
an old abandoned building
an old friend
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle.
Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers have set.
An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for quarters.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Of a living being, having lived for most of the expected years.
a wrinkled old man
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Known for a long time, or from early times; - opposed to recent or new; as, the ancient continent.
A friend, perhaps, or an ancient acquaintance.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Of a perishable item, having existed for most of, or more than, its shelf life.
an old loaf of bread
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable.
He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then would he seem very grave and ancient.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Of a species or language, belonging to a lineage that is distantly related others
the ginkgo is one of the oldest living trees
Basque is the oldest language in Europe
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Experienced; versed.
Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the most ancient in the business of the realm.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having been used and thus no longer new or unused.
I find that an old toothbrush is good to clean the keyboard with.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having existed or lived for the specified time.
How old are they? She’s five years old and he's seven. We also have a young teen and a two-year-old child.
My great-grandfather lived to be a hundred and one years old.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
An aged man; a patriarch. Hence: A governor; a ruler; a person of influence.
The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Former, previous.
My new car is not as good as my old one.
a school reunion for Old Etonians
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
A senior; an elder; a predecessor.
Junius and Andronicus . . . in Christianity . . . were his ancients.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
That is no longer in existence.
The footpath follows the route of an old railway line.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Obsolete; out-of-date.
That is the old way of doing things; now we do it this way.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
An ensign or flag.
More dishonorable ragged than an old-faced ancient.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Familiar.
When he got drunk and quarrelsome they just gave him the old heave-ho.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
The bearer of a flag; an ensign.
This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
(UK) Being a graduate or alumnus of a school, especially a public school.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
belonging to times long past especially of the historical period before the fall of the Western Roman Empire;
ancient history
ancient civilizations such as those of the Etruscans and Sumerians
ancient Greece
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Tiresome after prolonged repetition.
Your constant pestering is getting old.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Said of subdued colors, particularly reds, pinks and oranges, as if they had faded over time.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Dating back to very early times.
Ancient civilizations built monumental structures.
Levi
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
A grammatical intensifier, often used in describing something positive, and combined with another adjective.
We're having a good old time.
My next car will be a big old SUV.
My wife makes the best little old apple pie in Texas.
any old
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Very old, especially from an earlier age.
The ancient tree stood tall, bearing witness to ages gone by.
Jonathan
Sep 11, 2023
◉Ancient
Having historic significance from ages ago.
The museum showcased ancient artifacts from Mesopotamia.
William
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
|invariable plural only}} People who are old; old beings; the older generation, taken as a group.
A civilised society should always look after the old in the community.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Ancient
Pertaining to the earliest period or times.
The ancient Greeks laid the foundations for western philosophy.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
(slang) A person older than oneself, especially an adult in relation to a teenager.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
One's parents.
I had to sneak out to meet my girlfriend and tell the olds I was going to the library.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
A typically dark-coloured lager brewed by the traditional top-fermentation method.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Not young; advanced far in years or life; having lived till toward the end of the ordinary term of living; as, an old man; an old age; an old horse; an old tree.
Let not old age disgrace my high desire.
The melancholy news that we grow old.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Not new or fresh; not recently made or produced; having existed for a long time; as, old wine; an old friendship.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Formerly existing; ancient; not modern; preceding; original; as, an old law; an old custom; an old promise.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Continued in life; advanced in the course of existence; having (a certain) length of existence; - designating the age of a person or thing; as, an infant a few hours old; a cathedral centuries old.
And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou?
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Long practiced; hence, skilled; experienced; cunning; as, an old offender; old in vice.
Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Long cultivated; as, an old farm; old land, as opposed to new land, that is, to land lately cleared.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Worn out; weakened or exhausted by use; past usefulness; as, old shoes; old clothes.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
More than enough; abundant.
If a man were porter of hell gate, he should have old turning the key.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Aged; antiquated; hence, wanting in the mental vigor or other qualities belonging to youth; - used disparagingly as a term of reproach.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Old-fashioned; wonted; customary; as of old; as, the good old times; hence, colloquially, gay; jolly.
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age; especially not young; often used as a combining form to indicate an age as specified as in `a week-old baby';
an old man's eagle mind
his mother is very old
a ripe old age
how old are you?
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
of long duration; not new;
old tradition
old house
old wine
old country
old friendships
old money
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
lacking originality or spontaneity; no longer new;
moth-eaten theories about race
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
just preceding something else in time or order;
the previous owner
my old house was larger
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
of a very early stage in development;
Old English is also called Anglo Saxon
Old High German is High German from the middle of the 9th to the end of the 11th century
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
used informally especially for emphasis;
a real honest-to-god live cowboy
had us a high old time
went upriver to look at a sure-enough fish wheel
Muneeza Rehman
May 03, 2023
◉Old
Having lived or existed for a long time.
My old grandmother has many stories to share.
Olivia
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
Worn out or deteriorated from age.
My old shoes finally gave in after years of use.
Elijah
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
Denoting something that has been known or possessed for a while.
He's an old friend from high school.
Elijah
Sep 11, 2023
◉Old
Contrasted with new or young.
The old methods were replaced with new technologies.
Henry
Sep 11, 2023
Ancient vs. Old Frequently Asked Questions
Can a few decades old item be termed as ancient?
No, ancient typically pertains to millennia, whereas a few decades would be termed old.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
In what contexts might the word old be more fitting than ancient?
Old might be more fitting when discussing recent history, technology, or personal experiences, like an old car or old friend.
Levi
Sep 11, 2023
What might be an ancient artifact?
An artifact from the early Egyptian or Greek civilization would be considered ancient.
Henry
Sep 11, 2023
What does ancient specifically point to in terms of age?
Ancient refers to things dating back thousands of years, often from the early stages of human civilization.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
How is old different from ancient?
Old indicates something has existed for a significant duration but is more relative and can refer to shorter periods than ancient.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 11, 2023
How does the term ancient relate to history?
Ancient usually denotes periods in the distant past that have historical significance, like ancient Rome or ancient China.
Elijah
Sep 11, 2023
In what context might something a century old be considered not that old?
In architecture, a century-old building might be seen as relatively young compared to ancient structures.
Olivia
Sep 11, 2023
Is everything that's old automatically of historical significance?
Not necessarily. While some old things may have historical value, others might just be aged without broader importance.
Kaitlyn
Sep 11, 2023
How does the word old relate to the word new?
Old is often contrasted with new, indicating something is no longer recent or current.
Muneeza Rehman
Sep 11, 2023
Are all ancient things also old?
Yes, all ancient things are old, but not all old things are ancient.
Muazma Batool
Sep 11, 2023
Content Creators
Written by
Muneeza RehmanAt Comparisons.wiki, Muneeza skillfully navigates the vast sea of information, ensuring clarity and accuracy as the lead content editor. With a keen eye for detail, she curates every comparison to enlighten and engage readers.
Edited by
Muazma BatoolAs a content editor, Muazma Batool is not just a grammar guru but a creative mastermind who breathes life into every word. With an eagle eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, she transforms bland text into engaging content that captivates audiences and drives results.
