adjective

1. Having lasted from a remote period; having been of long duration; of great age, very old.

   “an ancient city  an ancient forest”

2. Existent or occurring in time long past, usually in remote ages; belonging to or associated with antiquity; old, as opposed to modern.

   “an ancient author  an ancient empire”

3. (history) Relating to antiquity as a primarily European historical period; the time before the Middle Ages.

adjective

1. (properly) Of or relating to the epoch before written record.

Synonyms: ante-historic