antiquities

IPA/ænˈtɪk.wə.ti/
KK[æntˈɪkwətiz]IPA/ænˈtɪk.wə.t̬i/

antiquities — noun

  • antiquitiessingular
  • antiquitiesesplural

1. the period of history before the Middle Ages, stretching back to the earliest kn

1.nounB2
Definition

the period of history before the Middle Ages, stretching back to the earliest known civilisations of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and beyond

Example

Gita wrote her thesis on marriage customs in antiquity.

in antiquity (time-period pattern)

Mathieu visited ruins in Athens that date back to antiquity.

date back to antiquity

Common collocations
  • in antiquity
  • classical antiquity
  • late antiquity
  • Greek antiquity
  • Roman antiquity
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • modernity

    the present or recent historical period

Grammar Patterns

in antiquity

classical antiquity

late antiquity

Usage Note

Always uncountable when referring to the historical period. Frequently appears with modifiers like 'classical', 'late', or 'Greek'. The singular form 'antiquity' is used; the plural 'antiquities' belongs to sense 2.

Common Mistakes

The museum displays treasures from antiquities.' (when meaning the time period).
The museum displays treasures from antiquity.
'Antiquities' (plural) means ancient objects; 'antiquity' (singular, uncountable) means the distant past.

2. a physical item — for example a statue, a piece of jewellery, or a building — th

2.nounB2
Definition

a physical item — for example a statue, a piece of jewellery, or a building — that has survived from a very old period of history, especially from the time of ancient Greece, Rome, or Egypt

Example

Eshe bought a small Egyptian antiquity at the Cairo market.

countable singular: an antiquity

The museum displays Greek and Roman antiquities in a special gallery.

plural: antiquities

Common collocations
  • collect antiquities
  • traffic in antiquities
  • looted antiquities
  • priceless antiquities
  • an antiquity
Synonyms
  • relic

    often has religious or sacred associations

  • artefact

    more scientific and neutral; used in archaeology

  • antique

    usually refers to newer old objects (a few centuries rather than millennia)

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

an antiquity

collect antiquities

a collection of antiquities

Usage Note

Usually plural ('antiquities') when talking about collections or groups of ancient objects. The singular ('an antiquity') refers to one item. Distinguish from 'antique': an antique is typically a few hundred years old; an antiquity comes from a civilisation thousands of years ago.

Common Mistakes

I bought some antiquities at the antique shop.
I bought some antiques at the antique shop.
'Antiques' are old collectible items (usually 100–300 years old); 'antiquities' specifically come from ancient civilisations (thousands of years old).

3. the condition of being extremely old; having existed for a very long span of tim

3.nounC1
Definition

the condition of being extremely old; having existed for a very long span of time

Example

Hana stood before the stone carvings in the Kyoto temple, stunned by their great antiquity.

of great antiquity (quality pattern)

Eli questioned the antiquity of the manuscript found in the cave.

the antiquity of [something]

Common collocations
  • of great antiquity
  • of considerable antiquity
  • the antiquity of
Synonyms
  • ancientness

    less common and more direct; rarely used in everyday speech

  • oldness

    informal and less precise; can refer to any degree of age

  • age

    much broader term; can describe anything from recent to ancient

Antonyms
  • newness

    the quality of being recently made or created

Grammar Patterns

of great antiquity

of considerable antiquity

the antiquity of

Usage Note

Always uncountable. Refers to the quality of being ancient, not the time period itself. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 names a historical era ('in antiquity'), while sense 3 describes the age of a specific thing ('the antiquity of the vase').

Common Mistakes

This vase has many antiquities.
This vase is of great antiquity.
When referring to great age (sense 3), 'antiquity' is uncountable and cannot be pluralised.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

An antiquity is an object from an ancient civilisation, typically thousands of years old. An antique is much younger — a piece of furniture or jewellery from a few hundred years ago, valued for craftsmanship rather than archaeological significance. A relic often carries religious or sacred weight: the bones of a saint are relics, while a Roman coin is an antiquity. An artefact is the most neutral, scientific term — archaeologists use it for any human-made object uncovered at a dig, regardless of age. An heirloom is passed down within a family across generations and carries personal rather than historical value. For example, a Greek vase from 500 BC is an antiquity and an artefact; your grandmother's wedding ring is an antique and an heirloom — but neither an antiquity nor a relic.

antique ↗relic ↗artefact ↗heirloom ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • in antiquity
  • of antiquity
  • from antiquity

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Antiquity entered English in the 14th century through Old French antiquité, which came from Latin antīquitās ('ancient times, former days'). This in turn derives from antīquus ('old, ancient, former'), built from the Latin root ante, meaning 'before'. The word originally described the quality of being ancient (sense 3), then broadened to name the historical period itself (sense 1) and, by extension, the physical objects surviving from that period (sense 2).

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1