antelope

American  

[an-tl-ohp] / ˈæn tlˌoʊp /

noun

• antelopes,
  plural
• antelope
  plural

1. any of several ruminants of the family Bovidae, chiefly of Africa and Asia, having permanent, hollow, unbranched horns.

2. leather made from the hide of such an animal.

3. pronghorn.

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antelope British  

/ ˈæntɪˌləʊp /

noun

1. any bovid mammal of the subfamily Antilopinae, of Africa and Asia. They are typically graceful, having long legs and horns, and include the gazelles, springbok, impala, gerenuk, blackbuck, and dik-diks

2. any of various similar bovids of Africa and Asia

3. another name for pronghorn

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antelopian
  adjective
• antelopine
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• antelope
  plural
• antelopes
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of antelope

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English antelop, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin antalopus, from Medieval Greek anthólops, a fabulous beast described by Eustathius of Antioch (died 337); origin of word unknown

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Compare meaning

How does antelope compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• antelope vs. gazelle
• pronghorn vs. antelope

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Explanation

An antelope is an animal that resembles a deer, with four legs, hooves, and antlers. Most antelopes live in Africa. You might see an antelope if you visit a zoo or an exotic game ranch, though their native habitats are the African savannahs or the plains of Asia. Antelopes are fast, with long, slender legs and sleek bodies, and the species includes many different animals, including gazelles. The Greek root of antelope is antholops, a mythical horned creature possibly named for its long eyelashes, from anthos, "flower," and ops, "eye."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antelope antelopes

In Cyprus, she discovered a previously unknown species of dwarf elephant and in 1909, while in the Balearics, she discovered the myotragus - an extinct goat-like antelope.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

The bay duiker antelope, for example, gives birth to offspring that weigh about as much as the estimated newborn C. theotonicus.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026

A zebra-striped lounging chair to the left and a taxidermied antelope head on the wall behind hint at the wealth and leisure of its titular city — another subject of great interest to Hockney.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

From their back window, they saw grazing cattle, roaming antelope and coyotes on the prowl.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

And they like being on their own and I hardly ever see them because they are like okapi in the jungle in the Congo, which are a kind of antelope and very shy and rare.

From "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" by Mark Haddon

Nina, the landowners' representative, added that unlike the latest incident, previous cases of poisoning in farms had affected zebras and antelopes, which raid the same areas.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

A genetic adaptation that allows animals such as yaks and Tibetan antelopes to survive in thin air may also point to a new way to repair nerve damage in humans.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2026

Sen. Adam Schiff and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — are rendered as giraffes, turtles, antelopes and other animals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

When the floods spill over Botswana’s Okavango Delta every year, fat antelopes congregate in lush grazing grounds and big predators treat the islands like snack bars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 20, 2025

That’s all they were—the baboons and warthogs and antelopes scared crazy by the fire.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

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