1. (a.) 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.

2. (a.) Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle.

3. (a.) Known for a long time, or from early times; -- opposed to recent or new; as, the ancient continent.

4. (a.) Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable.

5. (a.) Experienced; versed.

6. (a.) Former; sometime.

7. (n.) Those who lived in former ages, as opposed to the moderns.

8. (n.) An aged man; a patriarch. Hence: A governor; a ruler; a person of influence.

9. (n.) A senior; an elder; a predecessor.

10. (n.) One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.

11. (n.) An ensign or flag.

12. (n.) The bearer of a flag; an ensign.

Bronze Age man Hominidae Iron Age man Stone Age man abiding aboriginal aborigine advanced advanced in life advanced in years age-long age-old aged ageing ageless along in years antediluvian anthropoid antiquated antique ape-man archaic auld autochthon better brass hat bushman bygone cave dweller caveman chronic constant continuing dateless diuturnal doddering doting durable earlier early elder elderly enduring erstwhile evergreen fading fore forgotten former fossil fossil man fossilized golden-ager gray gray with age gray-haired gray-headed grey grown old hardy higher-up hoar hoary hominid humanoid immemorial immutable intransient inveterate lasting late long-lasting long-lived long-standing long-term longeval longevous macrobiotic man of old missing link obsolescent obsolete of long duration of long standing of old of yore old old as Methuselah old as history old as time old-fashioned old-time old-timer olden once onetime past patriarchal perdurable perduring perennial permanent perpetual persistent persisting preadamite prehistoric prehistoric man prehuman previous primal primate primeval primitive primordial prior pristine protohuman quondam recent remaining remote sempervirent senectuous senior senior citizen sinking sometime stable staying steadfast superannuated then timeless timeworn tough traditional troglodyte unfading venerable vital waning wasting white white with age white-bearded white-crowned white-haired wrinkled wrinkly years old