antique

[ an-teek ]

/ ænˈtik /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR antique ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

of or belonging to the past; not modern.

dating from a period long ago: antique furniture.

noting or pertaining to automobiles approximately 25 years old or more.

in the tradition, fashion, or style of an earlier period; old-fashioned; antiquated.

of or belonging to the ancient Greeks and Romans.

(of paper) neither calendered nor coated and having a rough surface.

ancient¹.

noun

any work of art, piece of furniture, decorative object, or the like, created or produced in a former period, or, according to U.S. customs laws, 100 years before date of purchase.

the antique style, usually Greek or Roman, especially in art.

Printing. a style of type.

verb (used with object), an·tiqued, an·ti·quing.

to make or finish (something, especially furniture) in imitation of antiques.

to emboss (an image, design, letters, or the like) on paper or fabric.

verb (used without object), an·tiqued, an·ti·quing.

to shop for or collect antiques: She spent her vacation antiquing in Boston.

Nearby words

Origin of antique

1520–30; earlier also anticke (< Middle French antique) < Latin antīiquus, antīicus in front, existing earler, ancient; cf. antic, posticum

SYNONYMS FOR antique

1 bygone, archaic.

2 old, obsolete, obsolescent.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR antique ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

an·tique·ly, adverban·tique·ness, nounpseu·do·an·tique, adjective, nounqua·si-an·tique, adjective

sub·an·tique, adjectivesub·an·tique·ly, adverbsub·an·tique·ness, noun

Can be confusedantic antique

Synonym study

2. See ancient¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for antique

The library in Williamsburg itself is illuminated with antique filament bulbs and everything inside is of the past or a nod to it.
Blurred Lines at NY Sketchbook Museum|Daniel Genis|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fully when I got that call I was at an antique mall with my mom.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star|Kevin Fallon|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She was in a Chicago antique mall with her mom when she found out she got the audition.
How Aidy Bryant Stealthily Became Your Favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ Star|Kevin Fallon|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For $4, he bought an antique picture frame and everything it contained.
7 Historically Significant Artifacts Rescued by Happenstance|The Daily Beast|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Dusty books, smoking pipes, tarot cards, and a Ouija board fill the antique furniture positioning any object as a clue.
Escape the Room—New York's Hottest Game|Justin Jones|September 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All the incidents of the medieval fairy-tale are viewed from the antique standpoint.
Main Currents in Nineteenth Century Literature, Vol. II (of 6): The Romantic School in Germany|Georg Brandes
It was full of antique jewelry, antique furniture, antique laces and antique pottery—all of the most fascinating description.
Aunt Jane's Nieces Abroad|Edith Van Dyne
The meaning of antic, a doublet of antique, has changed considerably, but the process is easy to follow.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.)|Ernest Weekley
From this great, antique room they crossed the quadrangle and entered the kitchen of the establishment.
Doctor Grimshawe's Secret|Nathaniel Hawthorne
The latter was bound in old leather covers, and its type was antique.
Fighting the Sea|Edward A. Rand

British Dictionary definitions for antique

antique

/ (ænˈtiːk) /

noun

a decorative object, piece of furniture, or other work of art created in an earlier period, that is collected and valued for its beauty, workmanship, and age
(as modifier)an antique shop

any object made in an earlier period

the antique the style of ancient art, esp Greek or Roman art, or an example of it

adjective

made in or in the style of an earlier period

of or belonging to the distant past, esp of or in the style of ancient Greece or Rome

informal old-fashioned; out-of-date

archaic aged or venerable

(of paper) not calendered or coated; having a rough surface

verb

(tr) to give an antique appearance to

Word Origin for antique

C16: from Latin antīquus ancient, from ante before

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for antique (1 of 3)

antique

adj.

1530s, "aged, venerable," from Middle French antique "old" (14c.), from Latin antiquus (later anticus) "ancient, former, of olden times; old, long in existence, aged; venerable; old-fashioned," from PIE *anti in sense of "before" (see ante) + *okw- "appearance" (see eye (n.)). Originally pronounced in English like its parallel antic, but French pronunciation and spelling were adopted from c.1700.

Word Origin and History for antique (1 of 3)

antique

"an old and collectible thing," 1771, from antique (adj.).

Word Origin and History for antique (2 of 3)

antique

"to give an antique appearance to," 1896, from antique (adj.). Related: Antiqued; antiquing.

antique

adjective

noun

verb (used with object), an·tiqued, an·ti·quing.

verb (used without object), an·tiqued, an·ti·quing.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of antique

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for antique

British Dictionary definitions for antique

antique

noun

adjective

verb

Word Origin for antique

Word Origin and History for antique (1 of 3)

antique

Word Origin and History for antique (1 of 3)

antique

Word Origin and History for antique (2 of 3)

antique