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 To the generation now eyeing the altar, such ostentatious bliss may be a relic of more innocent times. Judy Berman, Time, 27 May 2026 Meadowview granted Crabtree and Lagasse permission to search for relics, as long as findings would become part of a future museum in the property’s 1830s farmhouse. Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 26 May 2026 The world features crude weapons, relics and mystical creatures to battle. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 Its stunning Shrine of the Three Kings, believed by tradition to contain relics of the biblical Magi, continues to be a major site of pilgrimage. Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • People, places, images and artifacts can be used to prompt activation.
    Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • According to Zhang, if the movement represents a real physical displacement rather than a sensor malfunction or imaging artifact, its performance would be extraordinary.
    Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 31 May 2026
Noun
  • On the other side are artisans selling their wares and a number of tables piled with antiques and vintage items.
    Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026
  • The walls are glutted with oil portraits, and antiques sourced from l’Isle-sur-Sorgue are the real thing; staff are dressed in somewhat cumbersome costume (medieval-style bodices and straw boaters) but ever attentive.
    Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Noun
  • As this natural history points out, birds are dinosaurs—the only ones who survived the last extinction event.
    The New Yorker, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
  • For one thing, there are dinosaurs in this seemingly normal suburban enclave, which appears to have suddenly been displaced into a different time and place.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • Valles Marineris is an enormous rift valley system on Mars that scientists want to scour for traces of liquid water, which may exist in sheltered niches and serve as an habitat for possible life.
    Leonard David, Space.com, 31 May 2026
  • Archaeologists recently uncovered traces of a rare purple dye associated with biblical-era luxury in an unexpected place.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 31 May 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
  • When the coffin was finally uncovered, the two women found Nate's corpse.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026
  • The funerals often last multiple days and rituals can involve washing the body and sitting with or sleeping beside the corpse.
    Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 29 May 2026
Noun
  • Yi’s studio is filled with the remnants of her works.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 29 May 2026
  • There are several Star City tourism companies that offer packages to take an excursion to Moscow or have an extended stay in this strange remnant of another age.
    Jeff Spry, Space.com, 27 May 2026
Noun
  • Before then, shark researchers knew dusky sharks were scavengers because whale carcasses had been found in their stomachs.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 June 2026
  • One senior executive received both a bloody pig carcass and photos of his family’s beach house in the mail.
    Isaac Butler, New Yorker, 30 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

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

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