Word of the day · 21 June 2026
anachronism
/əˈnækrənɪzəm/
noun
Something placed in the wrong time period, or something that feels outdated in its setting.
In a sentence
- A plastic bottle in the background was an anachronism in the 1920s scene.
- Some called the dress code an anachronism in a remote-first office.
- The novel plants an intentional anachronism to unsettle the reader.
In an image
Origin
From Greek ana- (up, back, against) and chronos (time), via Latin and French forms meaning a wrong dating.
History
Scholars used anachronism for errors that put clocks in ancient Rome or modern slang in a Tudor play. Critics also use it for institutions that survive past their fit. Film crews still hunt accidental anachronisms in period sets. The word names a time mismatch, not only old fashion.
Nearby words
outdated · relic · misdating
A detail that belongs to another century, on purpose or by mistake.