Meaning & use
archive
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Meanings
nouncountable
A collection of records, papers or recordings kept for their lasting value, or the place where they are stored.
Grammar: Often used with in: found in the archive.
Patterns
- in the archive
- an archive of something
The town archive holds maps from the 1800s.
She spent a week in the national archive.
The radio station has an archive of old interviews.
verbtransitive
To put records or files into long-term storage so they are kept but not used day to day.
Grammar: Takes an object: archive the emails.
Patterns
- archive something
- archive something to something
We archive old reports every year.
He archived his photos on an external drive.
The library archived the newspaper on microfilm.
verbtransitivecomputing
In computing, to move files or messages out of your main view or into a compressed store without deleting them.
Grammar: Often used for email: archive the message.
Patterns
- archive an email
- archive a folder
Archive the thread when the project ends.
I archive every email after answering it.
The app lets you archive chats instead of deleting them.
Word forms
| plural | archives |
|---|---|
| third person singular | archives |
| past tense | archived |
| past participle | archived |
| -ing form | archiving |
Common combinations
- national archive
- The national archive opened its records to the public.
- digital archive
- The museum built a digital archive of its photographs.
- archive footage
- The film used archive footage from the war.
- search the archive
- Researchers search the archive for letters.
- archive a file
- Archive the file once it is complete.
Synonyms and how they differ
- records
- Records can be any set of written information, while archive suggests a preserved, organized collection.
- repository
- Repository stresses a place where things are kept and can be used for software.
- store away
- Store away is casual and lacks the sense of careful long-term preserving.
- file
- File is the everyday word for putting a document in order, with no hint of long-term value.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: archive or arch?
archive vs arch
An arch is a curved structure; archive is about stored records and has a different sound.
Practice
When you ___ an email, it leaves your inbox but remains stored in your account.
Choose one answer.
Archive keeps the message in long-term storage. Delete removes it, so it does not remain in the account.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “archive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.