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 Distinguish it from simply being old-fashioned or outdated (which might be described as 'antiquated' or 'obsolete' rather than anachronistic).