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

The prosecutor said the antiquities unit traced the books to South Carolina in 2006 but was unaware of their chain of custody until then. —Molly Crane-Newman, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026

Just think of all those vacant Madonnas, structurally perfect compositions, and obedient daydreams of antiquity. —Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Several companies and associations involved in the international trade of art and antiquities weighed in before today’s deadline for comment, calling for works of art to be exempt from any tariffs that might be imposed as a result of Greer’s investigation. —Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 16 Apr. 2026

Combat was highly gendered in Classical antiquity. —Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 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