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archive

/ˈɑɹˌkaɪv/
nounverb

ARCHIVE means a collection or repository, and the seven-letter word scores 15 points in Scrabble, or 65 as a bingo.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Noun 2 meanings

  1. Chiefly in the form archives.

  2. A collection, a repository.

Verb 2 meanings

  1. To place or store (something, such as a document or record) in an archive (noun sense 1.1).

    “I was planning on archiving the documents from 2001.”

  2. To transfer (less used or obsolete data, files, etc.) to a storage medium for long-term storage.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from French archive, archif, from Late Latin archīvum, archīum (“archive; room containing an archive; public record office”), from Ancient Greek ἀρχεῖον (arkheîon, “office of a magistrate; public building or office; town hall; (in the plural) archives; public records”), a noun use of the neuter form of *ἀρχεῖος (*arkheîos, “relating to an office”), from ᾰ̓ρχή (ărkhḗ, “beginning, origin; authority, sovereignty”) (from ἄρχω (árkhō, “to begin; to govern, rule”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₂er- (“to fit; to fix; to put together”), or *h₂ergʰ- (“to begin; to command; to rule”)) + -ῐος (-ĭos, suffix meaning ‘of or relating to’ forming adjectives).

Similar and opposite words

Similar
archivize
Opposite
unarchive

ARCHIVE is both a noun and a verb, though the main sense is the noun: a collection kept for reference, often in its plural form, archives. It has a single one-letter neighbour and no anagrams. Its main draw at the table is the combination of C, H and V in seven tiles.

ARCHIVE in brief

  • The word has seven letters, so it qualifies for the bingo bonus.
  • Base score is 15: H and V are worth 4 each, and C is worth 3.
  • ARCHINE is the only one-letter neighbour; no anagrams exist.
  • Its frequency rank is 7,197, with a count of 1,612.

How much is ARCHIVE worth with a bingo?

Tiles alone give 15 points: A1, R1, C3, H4, I1, V4, E1. Use all seven tiles from your rack in one turn and the game adds a 50-point bonus, so ARCHIVE reaches 65.

The pair H and V holds 8 of the 15 points. Put either on a double-letter square and that tile alone adds 4 extra points.

Where does ARCHIVE sit among similar words?

ARCHINE differs only in the sixth letter, V to N, yet it is far less familiar than ARCHIVE. Rack-mates are scarce: no other word can be formed from the same seven letters.

For wordplay, the -IVE ending links ARCHIVE to GIVE, LIVE, FIVE and DRIVE on paper, though the pronunciations do not all match. Treat those as spelling cousins, and check your game’s word list before playing an unfamiliar neighbour.

Is ARCHIVE worth holding for?

Only if you already hold the C, H and V together, which is not common. Most racks will not offer it, so treat the 65-point total as a bonus when it appears rather than a plan.

Two things make it easier to see: the AR opening and the -IVE closing, which leaves only C and H in the middle to place.

Rhymes with archive

All rhymes

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • ARCHINE12

Questions people ask

Is archive a valid Scrabble word?
Yes. ARCHIVE appears in Collins, NWL2023 and ENABLE. It scores 15 points on tiles, and a full seven-tile play adds the 50-point bonus for a total of 65.
What does archive mean?
ARCHIVE means a collection or a repository of records, and it is most often seen in the plural, archives. It also works as a verb meaning to store something for the long term.
Does archive have any anagrams?
No. ARCHIVE has zero anagrams, so its seven letters spell only this one word. Its only one-letter neighbour is ARCHINE, which changes V to N.

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