antiquarian
Americanadjective
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pertaining to antiquaries or to the study of antiquities.
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of, dealing in, or interested in old or rare books.
noun
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an antiquary.
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a size of drawing and writing paper, 31 × 53 or 29 × 52 inches.
adjective
noun
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the largest size of handmade drawing paper, 53 × 31 inches
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a less common name for antiquary
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of antiquarian
Explanation
Something that's antiquarian is antique, and usually collectible. Antiquarian books are used books that have some value because they're rare. If you go into the antiquarian business, you'll probably buy and sell old things — antique furniture, paintings, or coins, for example. An antiquarian book store has unusual and valuable editions of books for sale. An antiquarian is someone who specializes in, studies, or collects antiques. The word comes from the Latin antiquarius, "pertaining to antiquity."
Vocabulary lists containing antiquarian
Power Suffix: -arian
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The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor
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Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In the early 19th century, James Tod, an East India Company official and antiquarian, borrowed a large number of these reports and failed to return them when he left for Britain in 1823.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The Civil Guard police force has also released an antiquarian suspected of having received the items, the court added.
From Barron's ● Nov. 28, 2025
“On the Calculation of Volume,” Danish author Solvej Balle’s seven-volume opus, follows an antiquarian bookseller who gets stuck reliving the same mid-November day over and over again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 26, 2025
This last weekend, Rare Books L.A. transformed Union Station’s historic ticket hall into a bustling biblio-bazaar, drawing more than 50 antiquarian booksellers and collectors from across the country.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
Their host, an antiquarian architect, had never truckled under to modern civilization and kept his house free of gas and electricity.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
