archives
archives — noun
- archivessingular
- archivesesplural
1. a set of documents, photographs, films, or other materials from the past that ar
a set of documents, photographs, films, or other materials from the past that are kept because they contain important information about a person, organization, or event.
The university library holds the complete archives of the poet's unpublished letters and drafts.
hold + archives of [person]
Ayana spent weeks digging through the church archives to trace her family's history back to the 1700s.
dig through / search + archives
The newspaper's digital archives contain every edition printed since 1923.
Mizuki found last year's project reports in the company's old archives.
- records
broader term; records can be any documented information, not necessarily historical
- papers
less formal, typically refers to personal or business documents
- collection
more general; does not specifically imply historical or preserved materials
文法句型
archive (singular) / archives (plural); often used in plural form even for a single collection
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'archives' even when referring to a single collection. The singular 'archive' is also correct but less common for this sense.
常見錯誤
2. a building, room, or institution where historical documents and materials are st
a building, room, or institution where historical documents and materials are stored and made available for research.
Karim spent three days at the national archives searching for old land ownership records.
at the [name] archives (location sense)
The city archives are open to the public every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
the city archives + are open (treated as plural noun for place)
Many local archives now allow visitors to view old photographs and maps on their websites.
Lukas requested copies of old birth certificates from the county archives.
- record office
more formal; often part of a government body
- repository
formal; a place where anything valuable is stored, not only documents
- library
holds published materials for general use, not necessarily historical or unique documents
文法句型
at / in the archives (location); the national / city / state archives
用法筆記
When referring to a single location, 'archives' takes a plural verb in British English but can take either singular or plural verb in American English (e.g., 'the archives is closed today').
3. a single compressed file that contains a group of other files or data, created t
a single compressed file that contains a group of other files or data, created to save storage space or to make electronic transfer easier.
Felix saved all his project files as a single archive before emailing them to the client.
save as + archive (computing context)
The software compresses the photos into a smaller archive to free up hard drive space.
compress into + archive
When you download the program, it arrives as a zip archive that you need to unpack first.
Otis downloaded a large archive of design templates from the company server.
- zip file
a specific compressed file format, the most common type of computer archive
- compressed file
describes the function rather than the container; broader term
- backup
a copy of data for recovery, not necessarily compressed
文法句型
archive (noun) as a computer file; save as / create / extract an archive
用法筆記
Common file formats include .zip, .tar, and .rar. In everyday computing, 'archive' is often used interchangeably with 'zip file'.
archives — verb
- archivespresent simple I / you / we / they
- archiveses3rd person singular
- archivesing-ing form
- archivesedpast simple
1. to place documents, records, or other important materials into a collection for
to place documents, records, or other important materials into a collection for long-term preservation and future reference.
The museum carefully archives each new donation of letters, photographs, and personal belongings.
archives + each new donation of [items]
Before scanners became common, librarians archived old newspapers on rolls of microfilm.
archived + [material] on [medium]
The foundation archives oral history interviews with survivors of the earthquake.
Sana volunteers at the local museum and archives old photographs every weekend.
文法句型
archive + object (documents, records, materials)
用法筆記
Frequently used in passive constructions ('the documents were archived') and in institutional contexts (museums, libraries, government bodies).
常見錯誤
2. to move electronic files or data to a separate location or compressed format for
to move electronic files or data to a separate location or compressed format for long-term storage, especially when the files are no longer needed for everyday use.
Putri archives her old emails every month to keep her inbox tidy and easy to search.
archive + emails (personal computing)
The server software automatically archives files that have not been opened for over a year.
automatically archives + files not opened for [time]
You should archive the finished project folders to free up space on the shared drive.
Aarav uses an app that archives old text messages to save phone storage.
文法句型
archive + object (files, data, emails)
用法筆記
Distinct from backing up: archiving removes the original from active use, while a backup is a copy kept separately for recovery. Common in email systems and cloud storage.