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 of antiquity

• ancientness
• antiquation
• age
• 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

Ewuare argued that the antiquities should be displayed at the Benin palace, from which they were taken, and in 2023 the Nigerian federal government stipulated that the oba could decide where the objects would be housed. —News Desk, Artforum, 10 Nov. 2025

Her subsequent work includes Futura (2021), a collaborative documentary capturing the views of Italian teenagers, and La Chimera (2023), which follows a group of grave robbers dealing in Etruscan antiquities. —Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025

The tackier the better The dominant aesthetic of the administration comes not from antiquity but from AI slop, the tackier and more juvenile the better. —Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025

In classical antiquity, the mountainous region was notorious for bandits; in modern times, blood feuds among clans were rife. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see antique entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for antiquity

• iniquity
• obliquity
• ubiquity

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