Archive

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɑːkaɪv/

Definitions

1. A systematic storehouse of documents, records, or data intended for long-term retention and accessibility, which can encompass both physical and digital forms
2. An organized collection of historical documents or records ; a location where records and documents are preserved and managed ; to preserve or keep records systematically for future reference
3. A compiled set of stored papers, files, or data ; a facility designed to house and maintain such records ; the action of saving or maintaining records carefully for long-term use

Etymology: The Greek word "arkheion" originally named a magistrate's office or a public building where official documents were kept, so the sense of "a place of records" is in its very first use. It grew from "arkhē," meaning "beginning" or "authority," which is also why the root shows up in words about rule and origin. The Greek adjective "arkheios" meant "relating to an office," and the neuter form was used as a noun for the office itself. The Romans borrowed it as "archivum" in Late Latin, where it meant both the record-keeping room and the public record office. From there it passed into French as "archive" and "archif," and English took it directly from French. The English noun has kept the sense of a repository for public documents, and the verb, meaning to store records in such a place, was formed from the noun.

Synonyms: store, file, repository, collection

Antonyms: destroy, discard, delete