Meanings
antiquity1
plural antiquities · alternative obsolete antiquitie
- countableuncountableAncient times; faraway history; former ages.
Cicero was an eloquent orator of antiquity.
- countableuncountableThe people of ancient times.
That such pillars were raised by Seth all antiquity has avowed.
1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5) - countableobsoleteuncountableAn old gentleman.
You are a shrewd antiquity, neighbor Clench.
1633 (first performance), Ben Jonson, “A Tale of a Tub. A Comedy […]”, in The Works of Beniamin Jonson, […] (Third Folio), London: […] Thomas Hodgkin, for H[enry] Herringman, E. Brewster, T. Bassett, R[ichard] Chiswell, M. Wotton, G. Conyers, published 1692, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals) - countableuncountablehistoryThe historical period preceding the Middle Ages (c. 500-1500), primarily relating to European history.
- countableuncountableoften constructed as an uncountable pluralA relic or monument of ancient times, such as a coin, a statue, etc.; an ancient institution.
New video released by ISIS shows militants smashing what they say are antiquities at a museum in Mosul, Iraq.
2015 February 26, Ben Wedeman, Dana Ford, “Video shows ISIS militants destroying antiquities in Iraq”, in CNN, archived from the original on 01 Feb 2023 - countableuncountableThe state of being ancient or of ancient lineage.
He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
Antiquity2
- The period of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
Synonyms: classical antiquity
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounThe period of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinantiquitas
- Old Frenchantiquité
- Middle Englishantiquyte
- Englishantiquity
From Middle English antiquyte, antiquite, antiquytee, a borrowing from Old French antiquité, antiquitet, from Latin antiquitas, from antiquus. Equivalent to antique + -ity. See antique, antic. Compare with French antiquité.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀρχαιότης
- ἀρχαιότης (arkhaiótēs)ancient times
Arabic تَارِيخ قَدِيم
- تَارِيخ قَدِيم (tārīḵ qadīm)ancient times
Bulgarian древност, античност
- древност (drevnost)ancient times
- античност (antičnost)ancient times
Catalan antiguitat, antiguitat
- antiguitatancient times
- antiguitatrelic or monument of ancient times
Chinese Mandarin 古代, 古代史
- 古代 (gǔdài)ancient times
- 古代史 (gǔdàishǐ)period of history
Czech antika, starověk
- antikaancient times
- starověkancient times
- antikathe ancients
Danish oldtid, antikken
- oldtidthe historical period preceding the Middle Ages
- antikkenthe historical period preceding the Middle Ages
- oldtidancient times
Dutch oudheid, oudheid
- oudheidancient times
- oudheidperiod of history
Esperanto antikveco, antikvo
- antikvecoancient times
- antikvoancient times
Finnish antiikki, antiikki
- antiikkiancient times
- antiikkiperiod of history
- vanha aikaperiod of history
French Antiquité, Antiquité
- Antiquitéancient times
- Antiquitéthe ancients
- antiquitérelic or monument of ancient times
- Antiquitéperiod of history
- Antiquité classiqueperiod of history
German Antike, Altertum
- Antikeancient times
- Altertumancient times
- Altertumperiod of history
Greek αρχαιότητα, αρχαιότητα
- αρχαιότητα (archaiótita)ancient times
- αρχαιότητα (archaiótita)the ancients
- αρχαίοι (archaíoi)the ancients
- Αρχαιότητα (Archaiótita)period of history
Hebrew קֶדֶם
- קֶדֶם (qédem)ancient times
Hungarian antikvitás, ókor
- antikvitásancient times
- ókorancient times
- ókoriakthe ancients
- antikvitásrelic or monument of ancient times
- régiségrelic or monument of ancient times
Icelandic fornöld
- fornöldancient times
Indonesian antikuitas
- antikuitasrelic or monument of ancient times
Irish Cianaois
- Cianaoisperiod of history
Italian antichità, Antichità
- antichitàancient times
- Antichitàperiod of history
Japanese 昔, 古代
- 昔 (mukashi)ancient times
- 古代 (kodai)ancient times
Korean 고대
- 고대 (godae)ancient times
Latin antīquitās
- antīquitāsancient times
Latvian senatne
- senatneancient times
Malay zaman purba, era kuno
- zaman purbaancient times
- era kunoancient times
Māori pāhake, whakapata
- pāhakeancient times
- whakapataancient times
- neheancient times
- neherāancient times
- tua whakarereancient times
- whakapataperiod of history
Polish starożytność, antyczność
- starożytnośćthe historical period preceding the Middle Ages
- antycznośćthe state of being ancient or of ancient lineage
- antykancient times
- starożytnośćancient times
- starożytnithe ancients
- starożytnośćperiod of history
Portuguese antiguidade, antiguidade
- antiguidadeancient times
- antiguidadethe ancients
- antiguidaderelic or monument of ancient times
- Antiguidadeperiod of history
Romanian antichitate
- antichitateancient times
Russian дре́вность, старина́
- дре́вность (drévnostʹ)ancient times
- старина́ (stariná)ancient times
Slovak starovek
- starovekancient times
Spanish antigüedad, Antigüedad
- antigüedadancient times
- Antigüedadperiod of history
Swedish antiken, forntid
- antikenancient times
- forntidancient times
- antikvitetrelic or monument of ancient times
- antikenperiod of history
Ukrainian давнина́, старовина́
- давнина́ (davnyná)ancient times
- старовина́ (starovyná)ancient times
Welsh Henfyd
- Henfydperiod of history
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with antiquity
All rhymes →Cite this entry
antiquity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antiquity
“antiquity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antiquity. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “antiquity,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/antiquity.
Source: antiquity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.