relic

noun

rel·​ic ˈre-lik 

1

a

: an object esteemed and venerated because of association with a saint or martyr

b

: souvenir, memento

2

relics plural : remains, corpse

3

: a survivor or remnant left after decay, disintegration, or disappearance

4

: a trace of some past or outmoded practice, custom, or belief

Synonyms of relic

• artifact
• trace
• remnant
• vestige
• ghost
• reminder
• echo
• shadow

Examples of relic in a Sentence

a crude stone ax and other relics of the Neanderthals

in my grandparents' attic are many “groovy” relics from the 1960s

Recent Examples on the Web

College football artifacts and trophies were replaced with relics of the dimensional life of Godfrey, best known in Georgia as DeKalb County’s winningest football coach and the coach at Southwest DeKalb from 1983-2012. — Jack Leo, AJC.com, 20 Sep. 2026

The only thing more significant is a first-class relic, which is a physical body part of a saint. — Allen Devlin, CBS News, 19 Sep. 2026

The United States has repatriated a total of 58 cultural relics, artworks, and fossils to China. — Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 17 Sep. 2026

The double album set expands the 1976 folk rock relic with its original reel-to-reel demos and contemporary covers by Beach House and Hannah Cohen. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English relik, from Anglo-French relike, from Medieval Latin reliquia, from Late Latin reliquiae, plural, remains of a martyr, from Latin, remains, from relinquere to leave behind — more at relinquish

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing relic

• relic of the past

Rhymes for relic

• telic
• allelic
• angelic
• philatelic
• psychedelic

Kids Definition

relic

noun

rel·​ic ˈrel-ik 

1

: an object treated with great respect because of its connection with a saint or martyr

2

: something left behind after decay or disappearance

relics of ancient cities