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Plural
anachronisms
1
an object from one time period appearing in another where it does not belong
- The film featured a wristwatch—an obvious anachronism in a medieval setting.
- That Roman soldier's sunglasses were a glaring anachronism.
- The novel's use of smartphones in the 1800s was a clear anachronism.
- A typewriter in a futuristic lab would be an odd anachronism.
- The painting included an anachronism: a modern skyscraper in ancient Athens.
2
something occurring at a time when it could not have existed or happened
- The speech referenced events that hadn't yet occurred—an unintentional anachronism.
- The timeline of the story was riddled with anachronisms.
- That law was cited centuries before it was written, an obvious anachronism.
- The historian corrected several anachronisms in the manuscript.
- The character's knowledge of future events created deliberate anachronisms.
3
someone whose behavior, beliefs, or style feels more suited to a different era
- He's a charming anachronism, still writing letters by hand.
- Her values made her feel like an anachronism in the modern workplace.
- The professor, with his tweed and fountain pen, was a lovable anachronism.
- She's an anachronism—preferring vinyl records and rotary phones.
- His chivalrous manners seemed like an anachronism in today's dating scene.