relic

[rel-ik]

noun

1. a surviving memorial of something past.

2. an object having interest by reason of its age or its association with the past.

   a museum of historic relics.

3. a surviving trace of something.

   a custom that is a relic of paganism.

4. relics,

   1. remaining parts or fragments.

   2. the remains of a deceased person.

5. something kept in remembrance; souvenir; memento.

6. 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.

7. a once widespread linguistic form that survives in a limited area but is otherwise obsolete.

relic

/ ˈrɛlɪk /

noun

1. something that has survived from the past, such as an object or custom

2. something kept as a remembrance or treasured for its past associations; keepsake

3. (usually plural) a remaining part or fragment

4. RC Church Eastern Churches part of the body of a saint or something supposedly used by or associated with a saint, venerated as holy

5. informal,  an old or old-fashioned person or thing

6. archaic,  (plural) the remains of a dead person; corpse

7. ecology a less common term for relict

Other Word Forms

• reliclike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of relic¹

1175–1225; Middle English < Old French relique < Latin reliquiae (plural) remains (> Old English reliquias ), equivalent to reliqu ( us ) remaining + -iae plural noun suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of relic¹

C13: from Old French relique , from Latin reliquiae remains, from relinquere to leave behind, _relinquish

Example Sentences

The movie’s stiff Spider Woman set pieces are a relic of the ’90s musical that put Chita Rivera in a massive web.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The snobbish sommelier is a relic from the past—a figure from a less-enlightened time in wine.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At a time when consensus feels like a relic of another era, one issue has managed to unite policymakers across the ideological spectrum: kids and smartphones.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s easy to imagine Hollywood one day making an apocalyptic film that features the abandoned landscape with only these museum relics still standing — and “Split-Rocker” erupting in explosive, unkempt flowers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With good ingredients, a little technique, and respect for the inherent generosity of the dish, a rice casserole moves from nostalgic relic to weeknight star.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• antique 
• antiquity 
• artifact 
• curio 
• evidence 
• fragment 
• keepsake 
• memento 
• monument 
• remains 
• remnant 
• souvenir