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antique

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noun

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
Over the last four decades Yashar, the daughter of a Persian antique carpet dealer, has forged many relationships in the design world. Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2025 May recorded all of the song’s many layered guitar parts with his Red Special, the guitar he’d built from scratch with his dad as a teenager, using wood from an antique fireplace. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
Noun
Shop for books and Scandinavian home decor in the river town of Stillwater or admire antiques and historic homes in Hastings. Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 19 Sep. 2025 Cracker Barrel had plans to remodel its restaurant with a simpler layout, getting rid of some of the clutter, antiques and knickknacks the chain was known for. Ramishah Maruf, CNN Money, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for antique
Recent Examples of Synonyms for antique
Adjective
  • The piece filled both a madrasa and a caravanserai, placing ancient craft next to modern technology.
    Dada Jovanovic, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2025
  • But those who study the stars say this is a fact long known by ancient astronomers, and the disconnect is essentially an intentional feature of the zodiac, not a bug.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 28 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Gothic cathedrals, art deco villas, vintage yellow trams, impeccably dressed signore, bright red Negronis glinting in the sun—these are some of the most classic symbols of Milan, but there’s a whole other side to the city, one that’s contemporary, cosmopolitan, and just plain cool.
    Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • For vintage vibes and powerful audio, Klipsch's The One Bluetooth speaker is also 37% off and brings that warm, room-filling sound wrapped in wood-and-copper charm.
    PC Magazine, PC Magazine, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The private archeological company exclusively searches for treasure and artifacts from the 1715 Treasure Fleet, a fleet of Spanish ships that sank off the coast of Florida in 1715 while carrying massive amounts of precious cargo, per the organization’s official website.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Stop into one of several breweries along the Jackson County Ale Trail, or pop into the American Museum of the House Cat, where feline enthusiasts can peruse cat-centric art and artifacts.
    Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Make a beeline for the Pinacoteca di Brera, the venerable art museum containing paintings by masters like Raphael and Caravaggio.
    Laura Itzkowitz, AFAR Media, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Season 10 finds the venerable Captain Sandy Yawn navigating the shores of Spain with a handful of familiar faces by her side.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • However, the new version also incorporates the company’s lauded HD-2D visual art style, that combines retro pixel art with modern 3D environments, creating a unique diorama look.
    George Yang, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The jeans have a mid-rise waistline, a tight yet supportive fit around the midsection, and subtle bell-bottom flares that add a touch of retro charm to any fall ensemble.
    Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • These relics may contain explosives like TNT, chemical remnants, and even nuclear material.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
  • While the 1972 London Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution put an end to the legal dumping of unused explosive munitions in the sea, these relics now provide a rich area of study for marine biologists, offering a real-world look at how animals adapt to habitat disturbances.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Bettany played English poet and writer Geoffrey Chaucer in the medieval action-comedy, which starred Ledger as William Thatcher, a peasant squire, fueled by his desire for food and glory, who forges a new identity for himself as a knight when his master dies.
    Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
  • The movie was set in medieval times, and blended action, comedy and modern pop culture.
    Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The Walker-Stone House is a historic structure downtown that houses the Folk School of Fayetteville.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Precise numbers of staffing cuts are hard to pin down, but their historic scale in the first eight months of this administration is unmistakable.
    Chris Sellers, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Antique.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/antique. Accessed 5 Oct. 2025.

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