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This paper aims to give a new definition of the word “Archives” as a result of an accurate survey of doctrinal orientations on this specific subject, analyzing - word by word – each particular lemma which makes up the new proposal. Even though there is no definition that is valid in every context, but archival theory seems to suffer largely from a heterogeneous vision, downstream of a rigorous scientific journey, but dense of conceptual and lexical unexpected contingencies. Each term - with meanings and contexts - does not constitute a simple signifier, but refers to a specific baggage of every disciplinary and cultural tradition. For these reasons, we will attempt to provide an overview of the definitions of archives, from the particular to the general.