reliquary

American  

[rel-i-kwer-ee] / ˈrɛl ɪˌkwɛr i /

noun

reliquaries plural

1. a repository or receptacle for relics.

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reliquary British  

/ ˈrɛlɪkwərɪ /

noun

1. a receptacle or repository for relics, esp relics of saints

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Etymology

Origin of reliquary

1650–60; < Middle French reliquaire < Medieval Latin reliquiārium, equivalent to Latin reliqui ( ae ) remains ( see relic) + -ārium -ary

Explanation

A reliquary is like a special treasure chest or display case for sacred items, like the relics of saints. Reliquaries are often richly decorated with precious gemstones and valuable metals like gold and silver. A church might have a reliquary shaped like a mini cathedral that holds a fragment of a saint's bone, believed to connect the physical world with the divine. Because they contain valuable religious items, reliquaries are not just ordinary containers, but are often beautiful works of art themselves. Some reliquaries are even covered in carvings and images that tell a story about the holy items contained within, making them valuable pieces of art and history.

Example Sentences

This is an interesting car, with a strange, reliquary feel about it.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

The reliquary itself, held in the square’s church, was a series of exceedingly odd musical interactions between vocalists and the instruments in a combination of rap session and organized mystical service.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2025

After the announcement of the beatification, a painting of the family was unveiled and a reliquary containing their remains was brought to the centre of the stage.

From Reuters • Sep. 10, 2023

Inside an ornate reliquary perched within a glass case on a pedestal lie pieces of bone, the knee caps and hair of Bernadette Soubirous.

From BBC • Oct. 5, 2022

Who was I, after all, but some comic Queequeg, holding close to my breast a reliquary containing the white powder of a dead European civilization?

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez