archaicism
Outdated word usage
Archaicism is the use of old-fashioned or obsolete language, or an instance of such use.
A writer might employ archaicisms like forsooth or prithee for historical flavor or ironic effect.
The term can also describe the quality of being archaic: The archaicism of his prose made it feel stilted.
No longer in use
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- outmodedNo longer in fashion
- datedOld-fashioned or courted
- etymologyWord origin study
diachronic · lexicography · philology · anachronism · neologism · vernacular · lexicon · morphology
Very old indeed
- bygoneOf earlier times
- medievalOf the Middle Ages
- classicalOf ancient Greece/Rome
- prehistoricBefore documented civilization
primordial · olden · antique · time-worn · historic · ancestral · time-honored · heritage
Longing for the past
- sepia-tonedBrownish monochrome, vintage effect
- retroEvoking recent past
- vintageQuality from past eras
- quaintAttractively unfamiliar, outdated
romantic · evocative · atmospheric · period · ornate · formal · ceremonial · courtly
obsolete
No longer in use
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- outmodedNo longer in fashion
- datedOld-fashioned or courted
etymology · diachronic · lexicography · philology · anachronism · neologism · vernacular · lexicon · morphology · syntax
ancient
Very old indeed
prehistoric · primordial · olden · antique · time-worn · historic · ancestral · time-honored · heritage · relic
nostalgic
Longing for the past
- sepia-tonedBrownish monochrome, vintage effect
- retroEvoking recent past
- vintageQuality from past eras
quaint · romantic · evocative · atmospheric · period · ornate · formal · ceremonial · courtly · chivalric
rare
Seldom found or seen
forgotten · disused · defunct · extinct · lost · fading · vanishing · preserved · revived · curiosity
archaicismneologism
Newly created expression
modernism · colloquialism · vernacular · living language · everyday speech
archaic, archaeology, archaism, archaisms, archaically, archaize