What does anachronism mean?
An anachronism is something that belongs to a different era than the one in which it appears: an object, custom, phrase, or even a person that is out of step with its supposed time. The word is most often used in discussions of art and literature, where a writer or filmmaker may unintentionally introduce details from the wrong period — a medieval king speaking modern slang, for example — though deliberate anachronisms are also a recognized creative device. Beyond criticism, the word is applied more loosely to anything that seems to survive from an earlier age, such as a rotary telephone in a digital office. Anachronism derives from Greek roots meaning 'against time' and entered English in the seventeenth century. It is a precise, useful term for anyone discussing history, fiction, or the persistence of the past into the present, and it typically carries a tone of mild critique or amused observation rather than strong disapproval.
nounAn anachronism is something placed in a period of time to which it does not belong, such as a person, object, custom, or expression. It can also describe the error of assigning a thing to the wrong time.
- A person, object, custom, or expression that is out of its proper historical or chronological time.
- The act or error of placing something in the wrong historical time.
"The film's depiction of medieval knights wearing wristwatches is a glaring anachronism."
"In a novel set in the 1800s, a character checking email would be an obvious anachronism."
"Historians must guard against anachronism when interpreting past societies through modern values."
The plural follows the standard English pattern of adding -s; it is used freely when referring to multiple instances or examples.
"The historian catalogued dozens of anachronisms in the popular retelling of the battle."
Shakespeare gave ancient Rome a clock in Julius Caesar — and critics have called it one of the most famous anachronisms in literature ever since.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anachronism
Anachronism comes from the Greek 'anachronismos', formed from 'ana-' ('backward' or 'against') and 'chronos' ('time'), so it literally means 'against time'. The word entered English in the early seventeenth century, initially as a scholarly term for chronological errors in dating events. It shares its root with words such as chronology, chronic, and synchronize.
Related word forms
How anachronism is actually used
Anachronism is a formal-to-neutral word common in literary criticism, history, and everyday commentary on films and books. It often carries a mildly critical connotation when describing errors, but can be neutral or even affectionate when describing someone charmingly old-fashioned (as in 'a walking anachronism').
Easily confused with anachronism
An anacoluthon is a rhetorical term for a sentence that shifts grammatical structure mid-way; it has nothing to do with time, unlike an anachronism.