archaeology

noun

ar·​chae·​ol·​o·​gy ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jē How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
variants or archeology
1
: the scientific study of material remains (such as tools, pottery, jewelry, stone walls, and monuments) of past human life and activities
2
: remains of the culture of a people : antiquities
the archaeology of the Incas
archaeological
ˌär-kē-ə-ˈlä-ji-kəl How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
adjective
archaeologically
ˌär-kē-ə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
adverb
archaeologist
ˌär-kē-ˈä-lə-jist How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
noun

Examples of archaeology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Francesca Stasolla, an archaeology professor at the Sapienza University of Rome, led the excavation in 2025, which focused on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2026 The show also stars Hugh Laurie as Neville, a British archaeology professor, as well as Geraldine Viswanathan, Antonia Thomas and Fina Strazza. — Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Paintings, artwork, sculptures, stamps, statuary, other collector’s pieces (such as pieces of archaeology), as well as antiques older than 100 years but not over 250 years old are listed, as are suitcases, trunks, vanities and other types of bags. — Zachary Folk, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 Yes, seen from down in the crater, the sky was a piece of living archaeology, and the longer Gunn could spend gazing out at it, the better her grasp of the root of time. — Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for archaeology

Word History

Etymology

French archéologie, from Late Latin archaeologia antiquarian lore, from Greek archaiologia, from archaio- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1782, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of archaeology was in 1782

Phrases Containing archaeology

Rhymes for archaeology

See All Rhymes for archaeology

Browse Nearby Words

archaeologist
archaeology
archaeomagnetism
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Cite this Entry

“Archaeology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archaeology. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

archaeology

noun
ar·​chae·​ol·​o·​gy
variants or archeology
ˌär-kē-ˈäl-ə-jē How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
: the science that deals with past human life as shown by fossil relics and the monuments and tools left by ancient peoples
archaeological
-kē-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
adjective
archaeologist
-kē-ˈäl-ə-jəst How to pronounce archaeology (audio)
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on archaeology

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about archaeology

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