relic
Americannoun
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relics
plural
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a surviving memorial of something past.
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an object having interest by reason of its age or its association with the past.
a museum of historic relics.
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a surviving trace of something.
a custom that is a relic of paganism.
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relics,
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remaining parts or fragments.
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the remains of a deceased person.
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something kept in remembrance; souvenir; memento.
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Ecclesiastical. (especially in the Roman Catholic and Greek churches) the body, a part of the body, or some personal memorial of a saint, martyr, or other sacred person, preserved as worthy of veneration.
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a once widespread linguistic form that survives in a limited area but is otherwise obsolete.
noun
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something that has survived from the past, such as an object or custom
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something kept as a remembrance or treasured for its past associations; keepsake
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(usually plural) a remaining part or fragment
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RC Church Eastern Churches part of the body of a saint or something supposedly used by or associated with a saint, venerated as holy
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informal an old or old-fashioned person or thing
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archaic (plural) the remains of a dead person; corpse
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ecology a less common term for relict
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of relic
1175–1225; Middle English < Old French relique < Latin reliquiae (plural) remains (> Old English reliquias ), equivalent to reliqu ( us ) remaining + -iae plural noun suffix
Explanation
A relic is a fragment from the past — one of Elvis's guitars, an ancient piece of pottery or even an outmoded way of thinking -– that remains behind. Your dad might love his old albums, but to you, they're just relics. The noun relic is derived from relinquere, Latin for "to leave behind." A crumbling Roman wall is a relic of a once-great civilization. The superstition that seven years of bad luck will follow if you break a mirror may be a relic of the old superstition that a mirror can trap the souls of those reflected in it. Whether it's an object or an idea, a relic is a remnant of the past. Religious relics are items, such as Buddha’s tooth or St. Anne’s wrist bone, that have been preserved and venerated.
Vocabulary lists containing relic
Musty Dusty Words for National Old Stuff Day
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Ancient Wisdom: Synonyms for "Old"
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They Both Die at the End
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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.
See Examples For:
The Tag Heuer Monaco is an interesting relic of Art Deco design if it isn’t also the watch Steve McQueen wore in “Le Mans.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
According to Maixner, the results show that the mummy is "not a static relic, but a dynamic biological system."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
Buoyed in part by mozzarella-stick-seeking Gen Zers, Chili’s has transformed from a ’90s relic to the hottest restaurant chain in the country.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2026
"And I'd argue that, in many cases, it isn't a disorder at all. It instead represents a persistent echo, a relic of this earlier pattern of sleep."
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
It belonged to Aimee as a kid, a relic from her mother’s childhood.
From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera
Inside, the walls are still covered with his guitars, posters, photographs and other relics from his favorite artists: Aerosmith, Rush, Bowie, Jane’s Addiction and Soundgarden.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
Holy relics employed in the proceedings line one wall, another features a one-way mirror that allows family members and novice exorcists to observe.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
The most important scene in the tapestry, according to Dr Musgrove, shows Harold reaching both arms out to touch two boxes of holy relics while making an oath.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Far from being Roman relics, the helmets now offer rare evidence of medieval trade, military logistics, and the movement of arms across one of the world's most important commercial regions.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026
Unlike land sites, where the invaluable evidence of past cultures and people are often covered over or mingled with the relics of succeeding eras, an ancient shipwreck is a pristine historic time capsule.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
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.
