antiquity

American  

[an-tik-wi-tee] / ænˈtɪk wɪ ti /

noun

antiquities plural

1. the quality of being ancient; ancientness.

   a bowl of great antiquity.

2. ancient times; former ages.

   the splendor of antiquity.

3. the period of history before the Middle Ages.

4. the peoples, nations, tribes, or cultures of ancient times.

5. Usually antiquities. something belonging to or remaining from ancient times, as monuments, relics, or customs.

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antiquity British  

/ ænˈtɪkwɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being ancient or very old

   a vase of great antiquity

2. the far distant past, esp the time preceding the Middle Ages in Europe

3. the people of ancient times collectively; the ancients

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• preantiquity
  noun
• subantiquity
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• antiquities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of antiquity

1350–1400; Middle English antiquite < Anglo-French < Latin antīquitās, equivalent to antīqu ( us ) old ( see antique) + -itās -ity

Explanation

If you find an antiquity, call a museum: you just found something very old. Antiquity can also mean the idea of oldness. The word antique should be a clue to the meaning of this word, which refers to things that are extremely old or ancient. This isn't grandparent old — this is really old, like hundreds or even thousands of years old. People also use this word to compare old ways of doing things to new ways: you could say an old-fashioned idea is an antiquity that goes against modernity (newer ideas and ways of doing things). Antiquity can also mean the time before the Middle Ages.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

antiquity antiquities

Hearing the poems recited in the epic Greek of antiquity would be a purist’s ideal—nothing more authentic than that—but who are we kidding?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

"The new finds of Homo teeth from 2.6 -- 2.8 million year old sediments -- reported in this paper -- confirms the antiquity of our lineage," said Brian Villmoare, lead author and ASU alumnus.

From Science Daily ● May 16, 2026

In my research, I’ve studied how artists from antiquity to the present have used gestures of turning away to signify human confrontations with the most difficult aspects of life.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

But what he really wants is the katana recognised not as an antiquity but as a "masterpiece" of contemporary art.

From Barron's ● Feb. 11, 2026

It has been claimed that Tassoni expresses a sense of liberation from the schoolroom of antiquity, but his claim is merely that the moderns must find a place in the schoolroom alongside the ancients.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

"It's one of the first cases where we can see the whole discussion about restitution of antiquities that were illegally exported, until some were returned to Turkey," Alexandridis said.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026

That change in career led to "the happiest years of my life" between 2013 and 2020 when he began to make his living buying and selling gems and other antiquities.

From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2026

Cooperation is key for Unesco as well, and its ties to antiquities authorities in Lebanon led it to flag 39 additional cultural sites on its International List of Cultural Property under Enhanced Protection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

Turkey has stepped up efforts to combat illicit antiquities trading and in 2025 alone secured the repatriation of 180 cultural artefacts.

From Barron's ● Mar. 20, 2026

And with the rest of it, they bought mansions and antiquities and art.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Related Words

• antique
• relic