anachronism

Many movies contain historical anachronisms, such as a red sports car that is racing alongside Roman chariots or a Roman soldier who is wearing a wrist watch. My favorite anachronism is in the movie 10,000 BC, which shows the great pyramids at Giza that were actually built much later in 2600 BCE. Depending upon the audience, such anachronistic or chronologically imprecise details can be either distracting or entertaining. Some cinematic directors, for example, use anachronism -or being out of place in time-on purpose for a comedic effect.

Quiz: Try again! What is an anachronism?

• An object that is universally associated with a particular period of history.
• An object that does not fit in its surroundings because it is from another period in history.
• An object that draws attention to itself because it looks nothing like the objects around it.

• Supporters of [Venus Williams'] cause—and there are many, from tennis bosses to a British cabinet minister—say the [pay] discrimination is an anachronism that devalues female athletes in general, perpetuating the illusion that sport is a "man’s world." — The Christian Science Monitor
• Nineteenth-century horses and carriages [in New York City] may be anachronisms, but so are many of the buildings, trees and even the reconstructed bishop’s crook lampposts lining Fifth Avenue. — The New York Times
• Since 2009, the federal minimum wage for regular workers has been $7.25 an hour. For tipped workers, it’s been far lower for far longer—$2.13, where it’s been stuck for more than two decades. . . . This two-tiered system is a peculiar anachronism. — Washington Post
• The filibuster, which seems more and more an anachronism in the age of television, grew out of the practice of virtually unlimited debate that early members of Congress designed to prevent majorities from silencing minority voices. — The New York Times