\An"cient\, a. [OE. auncien, F. ancien, LL. antianus,
fr. L. ante before. See {Ante-}, pref.]
1. 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.
                                               --Milton.
         Gildas Albanius . . . much ancienter than his
         namesake surnamed the Wise.           --Fuller.
2. Old; that has been of long duration; of long standing; of
   great age; as, an ancient forest; an ancient castle. ``Our
   ancient bickerings.'' --Shak.
         Remove not the ancient landmarks, which thy fathers
         have set.                             --Prov. xxii.
                                               28.
         An ancient man, strangely habited, asked for
         quarters.                             --Scott.
3. 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.
                                               --Barrow.
4. Dignified, like an aged man; magisterial; venerable.
   [Archaic]
         He wrought but some few hours of the day, and then
         would he seem very grave and ancient. --Holland.
5. Experienced; versed. [Obs.]
         Though [he] was the youngest brother, yet he was the
         most ancient in the business of the realm.
                                               --Berners.
6. Former; sometime. [Obs.]
         They mourned their ancient leader lost. --Pope.
{Ancient demesne} (Eng. Law), a tenure by which all manors
   belonging to the crown, in the reign of William the
   Conqueror, were held. The numbers, names, etc., of these
   were all entered in a book called Domesday Book.
{Ancient lights} (Law), windows and other openings which have
   been enjoined without molestation for more than twenty
   years. In England, and in some of the United States, they
   acquire a prescriptive right.
Syn: Old; primitive; pristine; antique; antiquated;
     old-fashioned; obsolete.
Usage: {Ancient}, {Antiquated}, {Obsolete}, {Antique},
       {Antic}, {Old}. -- Ancient is opposed to modern, and
       has antiquity; as, an ancient family, ancient
       landmarks, ancient institutions, systems of thought,
       etc. Antiquated describes that which has gone out of
       use or fashion; as, antiquated furniture, antiquated
       laws, rules, etc. Obsolete is commonly used, instead
       of antiquated, in reference to language, customs,
       etc.; as, an obsolete word or phrase, an obsolete
       expression. Antique is applied, in present usage,
       either to that which has come down from the ancients;
       as, an antique cameo, bust, etc.; or to that which is
       made to imitate some ancient work of art; as, an
       antique temple. In the days of Shakespeare, antique
       was often used for ancient; as, ``an antique song,''
       ``an antique Roman;'' and hence, from singularity
       often attached to what is ancient, it was used in the
       sense of grotesque; as, ``an oak whose antique root
       peeps out; '' and hence came our present word antic,
       denoting grotesque or ridiculous. We usually apply
       both ancient and old to things subject to gradual
       decay. We say, an old man, an ancient record; but
       never, the old stars, an old river or mountain. In
       general, however, ancient is opposed to modern, and
       old to new, fresh, or recent. When we speak of a thing
       that existed formerly, which has ceased to exist, we
       commonly use ancient; as, ancient republics, ancient
       heroes; and not old republics, old heroes. But when
       the thing which began or existed in former times is
       still in existence, we use either ancient or old; as,
       ancient statues or paintings, or old statues or
       paintings; ancient authors, or old authors, meaning
       books.

\An"cient\, n.
1. pl. Those who lived in former ages, as opposed to the
   {moderns}.
2. 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. --Isa. iii.
                                               14.
3. A senior; an elder; a predecessor. [Obs.]
         Junius and Andronicus . . . in Christianity . . .
         were his ancients.                    --Hooker.
4. pl. (Eng. Law) One of the senior members of the Inns of
   Court or of Chancery.
{Council of Ancients} (French Hist.), one of the two
   assemblies composing the legislative bodies in 1795.
   --Brande.

\An"cient\, n. [Corrupted from ensign.]
1. An ensign or flag. [Obs.]
         More dishonorable ragged than an old-faced ancient.
                                               --Shak.
2. The bearer of a flag; an ensign. [Obs.]
         This is Othello's ancient, as I take it. --Shak.