antiquity

noun

an·​tiq·​ui·​ty an-ˈti-kwə-tē How to pronounce antiquity (audio)
plural antiquities
1
: ancient times
especially : those before the Middle Ages
a town that dates from antiquity
2
: the quality of being ancient
a castle of great antiquity
3
antiquities plural
a
: relics or monuments (such as coins, statues, or buildings) of ancient times
a museum of Greek antiquities
b
: matters relating to the life or culture of ancient times
the study of Germanic antiquities
4
: the people of ancient times
records left by antiquity

Examples of antiquity in a Sentence

The town dates from antiquity. A palace stood here in antiquity. a museum of Roman antiquities
Recent Examples on the Web The Trevi Fountain is the mostra of the Acqua Vergine, the only aqueduct that has run continuously since antiquity. David Laskin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2024 As a historian of ancient science who investigates what Greeks and Romans knew about plants and animals, I was reminded of similar cases reported by Aristotle, Pliny the Elder, Aelian, and other naturalists from antiquity. Adrienne Mayor, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2024 That was an errant number, which could be traced back to an unattributed claim from a 1990 article in The Independent by the British journalist Geraldine Norman about the antiquities market. Zachary Small, New York Times, 18 May 2024 These were hardly the finest products of antiquity, and under ordinary circumstances would never have been in a British Museum display cabinet. Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 6 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for antiquity 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antiquity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see antique entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of antiquity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near antiquity

Cite this Entry

“Antiquity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiquity. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

antiquity

noun
an·​tiq·​ui·​ty an-ˈtik-wət-ē How to pronounce antiquity (audio)
plural antiquities
1
: ancient times
especially : those before the Middle Ages
2
: very great age
3
plural : objects or monuments from ancient times

More from Merriam-Webster on antiquity

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