antiquarian

American  

[an-ti-kwair-ee-uhn] / ˌæn tɪˈkwɛər i ən /

adjective

1. pertaining to antiquaries or to the study of antiquities.

2. of, dealing in, or interested in old or rare books.

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noun

1. an antiquary.

2. a size of drawing and writing paper, 31 × 53 or 29 × 52 inches.

antiquarian British  

/ ˌæntɪˈkwɛərɪən /

adjective

1. concerned with the study of antiquities or antiques

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noun

1. the largest size of handmade drawing paper, 53 × 31 inches

2. a less common name for antiquary

Other Word Forms

• antiquarianism noun

Etymology

Origin of antiquarian

1600–10; < Latin antīquāri ( us ) ( antiquary ) + -an

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."

Example Sentences

"He was looking for picturesque subjects which were very popular with an antiquarian market at the time," she said.

From BBC • Jan. 24, 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

The L.A. antiquarian Charles Fletcher Lummis called it the Land of Poco Tiempo in his 1893 book of the same name, depicting it as a real-life territory of lotus eaters, of indolent pleasure.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2024

Luke said I had the mind of an antiquarian.

From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood