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

• 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

The more than 10,000 works in the museum’s permanent collection include Greek and Roman antiquities, pre-Columbian sculpture, and European and American prints, photographs, and paintings. —Mae Hamilton, AFAR Media, 9 Sep. 2025

Roman bathhouses – which functioned as important community spaces in antiquity – are still being discovered across Europe and Asia Minor today. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 Sep. 2025

The Aeneid has perhaps had more influence on later European and Anglophone literature than any other work from ancient Greek and Roman antiquity. —Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025

Passed down from antiquity, these fantastical peoples didn’t fit neatly into Christian doctrine. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 28 Aug. 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