antiquity

noun

an·​tiq·​ui·​ty an-ˈti-kwə-tē 

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

Synonyms

• age
• agedness
• ancientness
• hoariness

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

In the West, for instance, many standards come from classical antiquity, Rossi says. —Charles Trepany, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

In the years since, Egypt has taken measures to pressure Germany into returning the controversial bust, including denying excavation permits to German archaeologists and offering trades of other antiquities for the artwork. —Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Dec. 2024

While there is currently no plan to remove the stone, archaeologists will survey the surrounding area to see if further traces of antiquity can be found. —Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 29 Nov. 2024

The Museum’s permanent collection spans more than 5,000 years, from antiquity to the present, making the institution one of the best art museums in the American South. —Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see antique entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

antiquity

noun

an·​tiq·​ui·​ty an-ˈtik-wət-ē 

plural antiquities

1

: ancient times

especially : those before the Middle Ages

2

: very great age

3

plural : objects or monuments from ancient times