1
Core quality
Belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
Example
The film's electric streetlights are anachronistic for its setting.
anachronistic
/əˌnækrəˈnɪstɪk/ · uh-nak-ruh-NIS-tikadjective
Belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
Use anachronistic to express this relationship precisely: belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
What anachronistic Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Attributive or predicative use
Use this adjective before a suitable noun or after a linking verb such as be or seem.
Example
The custom may seem anachronistic but survived into the twentieth century.
3
Analytical distinction
Choose it when this exact descriptive quality matters; a related word may overlap without conveying the same trait.
Example
Applying modern categories to the ancient text can be anachronistic.
Use anachronistic Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The film's electric streetlights are anachronistic for its setting.
The custom may seem anachronistic but survived into the twentieth century.
Applying modern categories to the ancient text can be anachronistic.
Precision Matters
Anachronistic overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
anachronistic
vs.Means belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
outmoded
Means no longer current, useful, or fashionable; outdated.
anachronistic
vs.Means belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
obsolete
Means no longer used, useful, or current because something newer has replaced it.
anachronistic
vs.Means belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
incongruous
Means not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings.
anachronistic
vs.Means belonging to or placed in a historical period where it does not fit.
intermediate
Means situated, occurring, or ranked between two endpoints, stages, or levels.
Test anachronistic in Context
The object belongs to a different historical period from the scene.
1
A wristwatch in a painting dated 1700 would be clearly ___.