RELIC Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

relic

noun

ˈre-lik

Definition of relic

as in artifact

a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a crude stone ax and other relics of the Neanderthals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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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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

as in remains

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 When it was closed down in 1539, its treasures, books and relics were seized and its lands and buildings sold off, some to local nobles and gentry, some to the town authorities of Bury. — Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026 There was the innovative foldable Samsung mobile phone launched in 2020, now a coveted relic of collaborations past. — Zachary Weiss, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2026 In the capital, worshippers carried a fragment of Donskoy’s relics through the streets in a procession led by Kirill. — Cnn Staff, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026 The child, the now-teenaged James Fulton Engstrom, is slated to present relics of Sheen at the ceremony, accompanied by his family, who had sought Sheen's intercession for healing. — ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic

Noun

Just as there is a market for drugs and a market for art, there is a market, if a modest one, for these artistic artifacts.

— Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Vintage photographs and century-old artifacts nod to the property's original incarnation.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of artifact

Noun

The hotel's 18 rooms and five suites are all individually decorated with gloriously over-the-top touches in the form of antiques, sumptuous velvet duvet covers, and regal tones of red and gold that harken back to the property's royal history.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Sep. 2026
That mix allows vintage midcentury modern furniture to sit alongside older antiques and contemporary pieces without forcing a fully midcentury room.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of antique

Noun

Abrams has also led dinosaur digs for 16 years and prepared hundreds of fossils.

— Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Gonzo invites questions Two of the three biologists ended up putting Gonzo on the branch that produced theropod dinosaurs and birds, but by different routes.

— Niranjana Rajalakshmi, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of dinosaur

Noun

In April 1943, Operation Mincemeat used a corpse carrying fake invasion plans to fool Hitler into thinking the Allies would strike Greece rather than Sicily.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
In the meantime, there’s a lot of unwieldy comic commotion involving a missing corpse, a tweaking, naked Dwight and enough insipid TV sibling bickering to clog the airwaves for a decade.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of corpse

Noun

Investigators did not find any trace of an intruder fleeing the area, and the damage to the garage side door was inconsistent with a typical break-in, police testified.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026
The open space connects with a dining area, where traces of Somerset House’s DNA are on display.

— Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of trace

Noun

The manuscript Wayne read to us that night chronicled his involvement with Gloria Swanson, the towering star of Hollywood’s Golden Age who enjoyed latter-day acclaim in 1950 playing a delusional has-been in Sunset Boulevard.

— Mike Hogan, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
That career move quickly fizzled, leaving a sloppy drunk has-been in the debris.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of has-been

Noun

For instance, the Department of Natural Resources submitted a rule for legislative approval that sets up containment areas and disposes of carcasses for diseased animals.

— CBS News, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026
Poisoning or trapping only releases the fungus from carcasses.

— Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of carcass

Browse Nearby Words

reliant

relic

relics

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Style

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of relic

noun

Example Sentences

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