antique

[ an-teek ]

/ ænˈtik /

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See synonyms for: antique / antiqued / antiques / antiquing 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.

OTHER WORDS FOR antique

1 bygone, archaic.

2 old, obsolete, obsolescent.

See synonyms for antique on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of antique

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

synonym study for antique

2. See ancient¹.

OTHER WORDS FROM antique

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH antique

antic, antique

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use antique in a sentence

Gazing into the windows of Elbé, the Paris shop selling affiches de voyages — antique travel posters — makes these past few months recede like a bad dream.
In a gray, empty Paris, this corner shop’s colorful posters transport you wherever you want to go|Lily Radziemski|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
It’s a 20th-century antique that, when foiled by 21st-century factors, can send us back to the 19th century, when Thomas Edison’s company built coal-fired dynamos on Pearl Street to illuminate Lower Manhattan.
The grid leaves us powerless|Dan Zak|February 18, 2021|Washington Post
The rest comes from walk-ins with special requests such as a bridal gown or antique rug.
Parkway Cleaners fuels growth through innovation and custom work|Thomas Heath|January 31, 2021|Washington Post
In the Tapestry Gallery at Biltmore, Borchers incorporates teal and gold streaming ribbons on the tree, which tie in the room’s featured antique tapestries.
Seven ways to elevate your holiday decorating, according to the pros at Biltmore|Virginia Brown|December 10, 2020|Washington Post

At his farm, there’s also an antique tractor customers can ride.
Christmas trees are getting more expensive as Americans remain homebound|Rachel King|December 2, 2020|Fortune

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

antique

OTHER WORDS FOR antique

Origin of antique

synonym study for antique

OTHER WORDS FROM antique

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH antique

Words related to antique

How to use antique in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for antique

Word Origin for antique