archaism

UK: /ˈɑːkɪˌɪzəm/

US: /ˈɑrkiˌɪzəm, -keɪ-/

US: (är′kē iz′əm, -kā-)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ar•cha•ism /ˈɑrkiˌɪzəm, -keɪ-/   n. 

1. [countable] an archaic word, phrase, or style.

See -arch-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ar•cha•ism  (är′kē iz′əm, -kā-), n. 

1. something archaic, as a word or expression.
2. Fine Art, Literature the use of what is archaic, as in literature or art:
   The archaism of the novelist's style provided a sense of the period.

the survival or presence of something from the past:

The art of letter writing is becoming an archaism.

Also, ar•cha•i•cism  (är kā′ə siz′əm). 

• Greek archaïsmós. See archaize, -ism
• Latin
• earlier archaismus 1635–45

ar′cha•ist, n. 
ar′cha•is′tic, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

archaism / ˈɑːkɪˌɪzəm -keɪ-/ noun

1. the adoption or imitation of something archaic, such as a word or an artistic or literary style
2. an archaic word, expression, style, etc

Etymology: 17th Century: from New Latin archaismus, from Greek arkhaïsmos, from arkhaizein to model one's style upon that of ancient writers; see archaic

ˈarchaist noun

ˌarchaˈistic adjective