Anachronism
A person, thing, or event placed in the wrong time in a story, artwork, or description; a chronological error or element that seems out of place in history.
nounAnachronism
A person, thing, or event placed in the wrong time in a story, artwork, or description; a chronological error or element that seems out of place in history.
nounImagine This
Picture a medieval knight in armor glancing at a bright, glowing smartphone in a bustling market—another shopper checks a wristwatch with LEDs, while a horse-drawn cart rolls by. All of these elements clash with the scene’s era, creating a clear anachronism.
Sounds Like
uh-NACK-ruhn-iz-uhm
Looks Like
Looks like the noun form of 'anachronistic'; visually resembles other -ism words and the root 'chron' (time).
Remember This
Etymology: from Greek ana- 'not' or 'up/again' + chronos 'time' + -ism; entered English in the 16th–17th century. In literature and film, anachronisms are often used intentionally for effect or humor but can undermine realism if unintentional.
Other Forms
Connect With
historical inaccuracy, temporal discrepancy, chronological error, misplacement, incongruity
Note
Note that anachronism is the noun form; the adjective is 'anachronistic' and the adverb is 'anachronistically'. Distinguish it from simply being old-fashioned or outdated (which might be described as 'antiquated' or 'obsolete' rather than anachronistic).
Study Deeper
- The film's use of a modern motorcycle in a 1950s setting is a glaring anachronism.
- The novel contains an anachronism when a character mentions a 'server' in a medieval village.
From Greek ana- 'not' + chronos 'time' + -ism; entered English in the 16th–17th century.
Think: AN A CHRONO MISMATCH. An item from a different time period mismatches the era, which is the core idea of an anachronism.
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Spontaneous
adjectiveProduced by a sudden inner impulse or without premeditation; happening naturally and unplanned; arising from within rather than being forced from without.
Infamy
nounBad reputation; notoriety for negative deeds.
Avarice
nounAn excessive desire to accumulate wealth or possessions; greed.
Similar Words
Related words and words with the same part of speech.
Abasement
nounThe act or instance of humiliating or degrading someone; the state of being lowered in dignity or status.
Absurdity
nounThe quality or state of being wildly unreasonable, illogical, or ridiculous; something that is completely contrary to reason or common sense.
Accent
nounA distinctive way of pronouncing words; the act of emphasizing a syllable or word (as a verb, to accent means to emphasize).
Accolade
nounAn honor; a public expression of praise or an award.
Acrimony
nounBitterness of speech or manner; ill feeling
Acronym
nounA word formed from the initial letters of a phrase, pronounced as a single word and used as a shorthand for the full name (for example, NASA or radar).