noun
archive
AH-kyv
noun
1
A place or collection where historical documents or records are stored.
"The old letters are kept in the city archive."
"Researchers spent weeks digging through the newspaper archive."
verb
1
To store something away, often digitally, for future reference rather than everyday use.
"Please archive last year's emails to free up space."
How to Use Archive
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stored collection of records, or the act of putting something into storage.
Common mistake
As a verb, "archive" means to store something away, not to delete it — an archived file or email can usually still be retrieved.
Common pairings
digital archive
archive a file
national archive
Word Forms
archived past tense, archives plural, archives singular
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The old letters are kept in the city _____.
Etymology
From French archives, from Latin archivum, from Greek arkheion, "town hall" — the place where official records were kept.