HOW TO PRONOUNCE
ancient
/ˈeɪntʃənt/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:05
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Start with the vowel in “day.”
Use two syllables with initial stress and a ch sound after n. Another pronunciation uses sh there; both end with a light vowel followed by n and t.
2 syllables · Stress on syllable 1
TRY SAYING
“The story takes place in an ancient city.”
APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗What does ancient mean?
adjective
- Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.
- Existent or occurring in time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern.
- Relating to antiquity as a primarily European historical period; the time before the Middle Ages.
More meanings (8)
noun
- A person who is very old.
- A person who lived in ancient times.
- One of the senior members of the Inns of Court or of Chancery.
- (obsolete) A senior; an elder; a predecessor.
- (archaic) A flag, banner, standard or ensign.
- (obsolete, rare) The bearer of a flag; ensign.
adjective
- (obsolete) Experienced; versed.
- (obsolete) Former; sometime.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/ˈeɪntʃənt/
Pronunciation used in the listening tip.
CMU Pronouncing Dictionary ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
Never in all my life have I seen such wondrous swordsmanship and such uncanny agility as that ancient bag of bones displayed.
The structure of ancient aristocracy had been demolished by him, even as if his childish gripe had torn down the seven-gabled mansion.
More book examples (3)
The sitting-room of our client opened by a long, low, latticed window on to the ancient lichen-tinted court of the old college.
At the spot where it is intersected by the ancient tree-bordered road which runs from Gagny to Lagny, he heard people coming.
The yeomen, farmers, dairymen, and townsfolk, who came to transact business in these ancient streets, spoke in other ways than by articulation.