archives
n. C / Un. a collection of historical documents or records that provide information about a place, institution, or group of people. It can also refer to the physical building where these records are kept.
n. a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people; also the physical location where such materials are stored.
The historian spent weeks searching the national archives.
Researchers must wear gloves when handling the fragile manuscripts found in the university archives.
Digital preservation efforts ensure that even the most delicate parchment records in the state archives remain accessible to future generations of scholars.
Usually plural when referring to the collection or the place. When used as a collective noun, it can be treated as a singular entity in specific institutional contexts.