ANTIQUE Synonyms: 137 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'antique' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of antique are ancient , antiquated , archaic , obsolete , old , and venerable . While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time. // collected antique Chippendale furniture

Q: In what contexts can 'ancient' take the place of 'antique'?

The words ancient and antique are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past. // ancient accounts of dragons

Q: When is 'antiquated' a more appropriate choice than 'antique'?

The words antiquated and antique can be used in similar contexts, but antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time. // antiquated teaching methods

Q: When might 'archaic' be a better fit than 'antique'?

In some situations, the words archaic and antique are roughly equivalent. However, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time. // the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

Q: When would 'obsolete' be a good substitute for 'antique'?

The meanings of obsolete and antique largely overlap; however, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence. // a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

Q: When can 'old' be used instead of 'antique'?

While the synonyms old and antique are close in meaning, old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence. // old houses // an old sweater of mine

Q: When is it sensible to use 'venerable' instead of 'antique'?

The synonyms venerable and antique are sometimes interchangeable, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age. // the family's venerable patriarch

antique 1 of 2

adjective

(ˌ)an-ˈtēk

Definition of antique

as in ancient

dating or surviving from the distant past studied shards from antique pots made by the Pueblos of the Southwest

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in vintage

pleasantly reminiscent of an earlier time loved to collect antique sugar tongs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

antique

2 of 2

noun

(ˌ)an-ˈtēk

as in artifact

something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period their house is filled with rare antiques, including a collection of 19th-century African masks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective antique differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of antique are ancient, antiquated, archaic, obsolete, old, and venerable. While all these words mean "having come into existence or use in the more or less distant past," antique applies to what has come down from a former or ancient time.

collected antique Chippendale furniture

In what contexts can ancient take the place of antique?

The words ancient and antique are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ancient applies to occurrence, existence, or use in or survival from the distant past.

ancient accounts of dragons

When is antiquated a more appropriate choice than antique?

The words antiquated and antique can be used in similar contexts, but antiquated implies being discredited or outmoded or otherwise inappropriate to the present time.

antiquated teaching methods

When might archaic be a better fit than antique?

In some situations, the words archaic and antique are roughly equivalent. However, archaic implies having the character or characteristics of a much earlier time.

the play used archaic language to convey a sense of period

When would obsolete be a good substitute for antique?

The meanings of obsolete and antique largely overlap; however, obsolete may apply to something regarded as no longer acceptable or useful even though it is still in existence.

a computer that makes earlier models obsolete

When can old be used instead of antique?

While the synonyms old and antique are close in meaning, old may apply to either actual or merely relative length of existence.

old houses

an old sweater of mine

When is it sensible to use venerable instead of antique?

The synonyms venerable and antique are sometimes interchangeable, but venerable stresses the impressiveness and dignity of great age.

the family's venerable patriarch

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of antique

Adjective

Hawn found the double doors leading to the laundry room during a buying trip to the Round Top antique market. — Richard A. Marini, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026 Inside the front door, octagonal floor tiles replicate those from his home hallway, and there are antique furniture and reclaimed wood paneling. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026

Noun

Collecting segments like antiques, jewelry, and gems trailed behind, so the commonplace observation that buying other luxury collectibles might lead to art collecting did not seem to hold for this particular slice of the collectorate. — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 His parents — his mother was an interior designer and his stepfather worked in the antiques trade — would wear Gaultier. — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for antique

Recent Examples of Synonyms for antique

Adjective

Adding fuel to the debate is the discovery of ancient artifacts — texts, frescoes, tombstone inscriptions — that seem, to some, to depict women as priests in the early Catholic Church.

— Jonathan Bullington, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
The two genetic variants are also ancient, suggesting that the difference has persisted over evolutionary timescales.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancient

Noun

There’s also a collection of original costumes, weapons, props and production artifacts from across Villeneuve’s trilogy, including a full-scale ornithopter used in the films.

— Anna Tingley, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Given that this uplift comes from the algorithm not weighing GPU performance as heavily, the underlying native frame rate should be higher, reducing the more typical artifacts of frame generation.

— Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of artifact

Adjective

There’s Haroon Mirza’s Stone Circle, commissioned by Ballroom Marfa, another venerable local institution.

— Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026
The venerable broadcast network regained the league’s rights as part of an 11-year media deal, reviving the iconic theme song that accompanied NBA broadcasts from 1990 to 2002.

— Chantz Martin OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of venerable

Adjective

The console lets users play N64 games with their original cartridges and controllers, using FPGA hardware instead of emulation software—the standard for retro machines—so there’s no lag during play.

— Jessica Sager, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Coincidentally named Jordan Green, he is played by Rock himself and cuts a retro figure, with an outfit—a rain jacket, a tie, a fedora—that reads like a nostalgic nod to classic-jazz album covers.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of retro

Noun

Theranos is, in many ways, a cautionary tale and a relic of 2010s Silicon Valley.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 16 Oct. 2026
Our leaders should retire a relic that endangers people and animals alike, and retire, once and for all, the small and nasty politics used to defend it.

— Al Sharpton, New York Daily News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of relic

Adjective

It was filmed on two medieval backlots at Korda Studios and the National Film Institute, to the west and north of the city respectively, according to Barbara Reardon, a local co-producer.

— Lucy Handley, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
By the medieval period, Christianity was the dominant religion of Europe, but long-distance travel was extremely difficult, and embarking upon a pilgrimage to Jerusalem was often regarded as a death sentence.

— Shay Rabineau, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of medieval

Adjective

Both those historic actions happened as part of the Biden administration's focus on anti-money laundering and efforts to promote compliance with the then-emerging virtual currency industry.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
Yeager's historic flight followed a series of unpowered glide tests, incuding three by Yeager himself in August of 1947, followed by ever faster subsonic powered flights.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of historic

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“Antique.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antique. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of antique

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Synonyms of antique

adjective

noun

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Articles Related to antique

Tulip/Turban, Cloak/Clock, & 8...

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on antique

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