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

Since antiquity, people have known that old age can bring lapses of memory and judgment. — Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Archaeology was still in its infancy as a science, and Carter eventually joined the Egyptian antiquities service. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2026

Rakowitz re-creates these antiquities using a papier-mâché made from Middle Eastern food packaging, labels and wrappers used by diaspora Iraqi communities. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026

Even Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, and the other great thinkers of antiquity and the Middle Ages never developed anything resembling our modern understanding of intellectual property. — Coke Morgan Stewart, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2026

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