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
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
Although the theme of the collection is rooted in antiquity, many of the jewels also took inspiration from modern art such as the ’80s Memphis Movement or, in the case of the hieroglyphic clips, Frank Stella’s geometric shapes and bold colors of the ’70s.
—
Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, desperate to connect with the grandeur of antiquity and left bitterly disappointed by his visit to Rome, eventually arrived in this once-vibrant center of the extended Greek empire.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
But, unlike armies of antiquity, modern armies depend on an extraordinarily complex web of fuel, ammunition, spare parts, maintenance crews, communications, transport, and increasingly autonomous systems operating across multiple domains simultaneously.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
One of the oldest cities on the Mediterranean coast, Tyre, in antiquity, was at various times Phoenician, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine.
—Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for antiquity
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Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2026
The German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, desperate to connect with the grandeur of antiquity and left bitterly disappointed by his visit to Rome, eventually arrived in this once-vibrant center of the extended Greek empire.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2026
But, unlike armies of antiquity, modern armies depend on an extraordinarily complex web of fuel, ammunition, spare parts, maintenance crews, communications, transport, and increasingly autonomous systems operating across multiple domains simultaneously.
—Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026
One of the oldest cities on the Mediterranean coast, Tyre, in antiquity, was at various times Phoenician, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine.
—Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for antiquity
Cite this Entry
“Antiquity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiquity. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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