Antiquity
noun /ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/ — Ancient times; the ancient world
Definition
The ancient past — particularly the classical world of Greece and Rome — or an object from that period. Also the quality of being ancient.
Beyond the definition
The depth of time as a felt quality. Antiquity is not just old — it is old in the way that has shaped everything since, the past that is also foundation.
Origin & history
From Latin 'antiquitas' (ancient times, the ancients) — from 'antiquus' (old, former). The quality of belonging to what came before.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The museum's collection of antiquity — vases, coins, fragments — felt like looking at the foundations of thought.
Some writers reach back to antiquity for their references, not for nostalgia but for precision.
There is a peculiar comfort in antiquity: proof that humans before us faced similar problems and survived.
Synonyms
ancient times, classical era, ancient world, olden times
Antonyms
modernity, contemporary
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Ancient Objects on Desk
An archaeologist studies a worn seal, a geometric tablet, a pot, and other remnants on a desk, all lit by the glow of candlelight.
Antiquity refers to the ancient past or objects from that era. The items the archaeologist is examining—the seal, the geometric tablet, and the clay pot—are objects of antiquity, providing a physical link to the classical or ancient world through the study of their worn and surviving forms.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration