Definition of relicnext
1
2
as in antique
something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period in my grandparents' attic are many "groovy" relics from the 1960s

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3
as in dinosaur
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity his courtly manners marked him as a relic of a more refined and formal era

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in remains
relics plural a dead body though it is believed that missionary died in New Guinea, his relics have never been found

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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 relic The ballpark was in a late-life crisis before the Bananas came to town a decade ago and injected youthful energy — and eventually millions in improvements — into what many considered an outdated relic. Adam Van Brimmer, AJC.com, 23 Mar. 2026 Built by the same Khmer Empire that constructed Angkor Wat 160 kilometers (100 miles) southwest, the temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2008 and are held as an important cultural relic by Cambodians. ABC News, 23 Mar. 2026 These virtues are not irrelevant relics. CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026 Marble Canyon Lodge Up north, Marble Canyon Lodge has shed its roadside relic skin for something far more intentional. Kevin Sintumuang, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • Alongside the University of Warsaw archaeologists, conservationists are working tirelessly to preserve and restore these paintings and artifacts.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 28 Mar. 2026
  • The finding suggests these remains may have once been part of a private collection — artifacts or human specimens gathered abroad and brought into the United States at some earlier point in history.
    Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • According to the Instagram video, the shop owners had traveled to England on a road trip in search of architectural antiques.
    Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • More than 200 auction items donated by foundation members, local businesses and artists include antiques, artwork, garden supplies and experiences, the release said.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • As for which dinosaurs laid them, reporting suggests multiple species may be represented.
    Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Free admission gets you dinosaur skeletons, the Hope Diamond and a live butterfly pavilion.
    Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • Forecasters say San Diego International Airport will finish the month with only a trace of rain.
    Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Much of that shift traces back to Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions, or ALE.
    Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
  • When her estranged daughter unexpectedly moves into their crumbling Manhattan townhouse, the TV has-been is confronted with the one role she’s spent her entire life avoiding: motherhood.
    Peter White, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • At least 33 bodies — including children and dismembered remains stuffed in sacks — were unearthed from a mass grave in western Kenya on Thursday, raising questions about whether the corpses were secretly moved from a hospital morgue.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 29 Mar. 2026
  • An investigation by Colorado's 12th Judicial District Attorney led to the indictment of the Costilla County sheriff and other former and current employees on Thursday on various charges, including assault and abuse of a corpse.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • On March 6, Ecuadoran armed forces returned, this time to bomb the remnants of Miguel's property, captured in a video shared by the Department of War.
    Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The farm buildings on the property—long verandas, shearing sheds, and concrete kennels—are old and decayed, remnants from long before the group showed up.
    Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 26 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In that video, the influencer appears to come across what is seemingly the carcass of an alligator floating in the water and shoots it repeatedly.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
  • City Parks workers were joined on the beach by the State Department of Environmental Conservation, which is assisting in securing the carcass, which drew onlookers throughout the day.
    Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

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