SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
anachronistic
adjective
Belonging to another time or out of place in its present period.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Out of its proper time
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topAnachronistic can describe something too modern for a setting, not only something old-fashioned.
RELATED FORMS, ONE FEATURED ENTRY
The anachronism family
anachronistic is grouped under anachronism in the main dictionaries. This form keeps its meaning and previous study record.
anachronismnoun
Something placed in, or belonging to, an inappropriate historical period.
Something placed in, or belonging to, an inappropriate historical period
Related expressions
A wristwatch in the medieval scene was an obvious anachronism.
The handwritten ledger seemed an anachronism in the automated office.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See anachronistic in use
The modern watch looked anachronistic in the historical play.
The anachronistic watch invited a question about time rather than exposing an accidental oversight, according to the artist's caption. Its incongruity would remain visible even to a viewer unfamiliar with the artist's other work, since the surrounding costume established a different period.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license