immemorial

IPA/ˌɪməˈmɔːriəl/
KK[ˌɪməmˈɔriəl]IPA/ˌɪməˈmɔːriəl/

immemorial — adjective

  • immemorialpositive
  • more immemorialcomparative
  • most immemorialsuperlative

1. going back so far into the past that nobody alive can remember when it began

1.形容詞C1
釋義

going back so far into the past that nobody alive can remember when it began

例句

From time immemorial, the old beech at the crossroads has marked the boundary between the village and the abbey.

from time immemorial — used for long-standing landmarks and boundaries

Pim's family had fished these waters since time immemorial.

同義詞
  • ancient

    broader in scope; can describe anything very old, not just things beyond memory

  • primeval

    suggests the earliest ages of the world, often with a wild or untouched quality

反義詞
  • recent

    happening or starting only a short time ago

  • modern

    belonging to the present or recent times

文法句型

time immemorial

from time immemorial

since time immemorial

用法筆記

Almost always used in the set phrases 'from time immemorial' and 'since time immemorial.' The word rarely appears outside these constructions.

常見錯誤

❌This building is immemorial.
✅This building has stood here since time immemorial.
💡'Immemorial' is not used predicatively; use the set phrase 'time immemorial' instead.

2. having existed continuously for so long that no one can remember or record its b

2.形容詞C1
釋義

having existed continuously for so long that no one can remember or record its beginning

例句

Feng studied the immemorial customs that shaped every wedding in the mountain villages.

immemorial + customs — describing traditions passed down across generations

The villagers' immemorial right to gather firewood in the manor woods was finally put into law.

同義詞
  • time-honored

    emphasises respect and continued practice rather than sheer age

  • ancestral

    specifically links the thing to forebears or lineage

  • age-old

    less formal; commonly used for problems, questions, and traditions

反義詞
  • novel

    new and different from what has been known before

  • recent

    having happened or come into being not long ago

文法句型

immemorial + [custom/tradition/right/ritual]

用法筆記

Used before nouns describing long-standing traditions, rights, customs, or qualities. Distinguish from sense 1 (BEYOND MEMORY), which describes the span of time itself rather than the thing that has persisted.

常見錯誤

❌The immemorial time tradition.
✅The immemorial tradition.
💡'Immemorial' already carries the idea of extreme age; do not add 'time' before the noun unless using the set phrase 'time immemorial.'