Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ancient astronaut hypothesis

ancient astronaut hypothesis

9.9
An idea that intelligent aliens visited Earth long ago and helped early humans
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪnʃənt ˈæstrəˌnɔt haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/
translation icon : hipótesis de los astronautas antiguos
  • The ancient astronaut hypothesis suggests that advanced aliens played a role in shaping early human civilizations.

Examples

  • Many mainstream scientists reject the ancient astronaut hypothesis due to a lack of credible evidence.

  • Television series and books have popularized the ancient astronaut hypothesis among enthusiasts worldwide.

  • The ancient astronaut hypothesis suggests that aliens visited Earth long ago.

  • Many documentaries explore the ancient astronaut hypothesis and its implications.

  • Many mainstream scientists reject the ancient astronaut hypothesis due to a lack of credible evidence.

  • The ancient astronaut hypothesis suggests that advanced aliens played a role in shaping early human civilizations.

  • Television series and books have popularized the ancient astronaut hypothesis among enthusiasts worldwide.

Synonyms

paleocontact hypothesis
vsancient astronaut hypothesis
  • US
9.9

An idea that aliens visited and met people on Earth long ago

focuses on visits in broadly defined ancient times rather than explicit prehistory

Surface Forms

ancient astronaut hypothesis singular
ancient astronaut hypotheses plural

Morphology

ancient + astronaut + hypothesis

The meaning is directly compositional: 'ancient' (from long ago) + 'astronaut' (space traveler) + 'hypothesis' (unproven explanation) yields a hypothesis about astronauts in ancient times. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words and basic noun-compound patterns can infer this intended meaning, and similar constructions exist in other languages, making it transparent.

Etymology

The phrase ancient astronaut hypothesis creates a picture: the word ancient means very old and astronaut means a space traveller, so people imagine space visitors who came long ago. So the phrase is used for the 'unproven idea' that 'aliens' 'visited' Earth in 'ancient times' and helped shape early human cultures.