relic

noun

rel·​ic ˈre-lik 

1

a

: an object esteemed and venerated because of association with a saint or martyr

b

: souvenir, memento

2

relics plural : remains, corpse

3

: a survivor or remnant left after decay, disintegration, or disappearance

4

: a trace of some past or outmoded practice, custom, or belief

Synonyms of relic

• artifact
• trace
• remnant
• vestige
• ghost
• reminder
• echo
• shadow

Examples of relic in a Sentence

a crude stone ax and other relics of the Neanderthals

in my grandparents' attic are many “groovy” relics from the 1960s

Recent Examples on the Web

Hidden in those frames and spectra is the biography of a traveler that has been aging in interstellar space since long before Earth formed; a relic from an early, metal-poor corner of the galaxy, briefly caught in our telescopes on its way past. —Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 2 Dec. 2025

Pierre Huyghe’s Idiom, 2024, provides a similarly disarming experience, comprising a gold mask that recalls relics from ancient Greece, but which houses an artificial-intelligence program that generates garbled language in real time in response to sounds in the gallery, including visitors’ prompts. —Tim Griffin, Artforum, 1 Dec. 2025

The relic has turned one of the best beaches in Puerto Rico into pure Instagram gold. —Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025

In the fantasy world of The Mighty Nein, an archmage working for a corrupt empire has stolen a sacred magical relic of untold power from a shadowy rival kingdom. —James Grebey, Rolling Stone, 28 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relik, from Anglo-French relike, from Medieval Latin reliquia, from Late Latin reliquiae, plural, remains of a martyr, from Latin, remains, from relinquere to leave behind — more at relinquish

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing relic

• relic of the past

Rhymes for relic

• telic
• allelic
• angelic
• philatelic
• psychedelic

Kids Definition

relic

noun

rel·​ic ˈrel-ik 

1

: an object treated with great respect because of its connection with a saint or martyr

2

: something left behind after decay or disappearance

relics of ancient cities