antiquity
UK /ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/ · US /ænˈtɪk.wə.ti/ noun, proper noun
Forms antiquities antiquitie
- noun Ancient times; faraway history; former ages. “Cicero was an eloquent orator of antiquity.”
- noun The people of ancient times.
- noun (obsolete) An old gentleman.
- noun (history) The historical period preceding the Middle Ages (c. 500-1500), primarily relating to European history.
- noun (often constructed as an uncountable plural) A relic or monument of ancient times, such as a coin, a statue, etc.; an ancient institution.
- noun The state of being ancient or of ancient lineage.
- proper noun The period of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- noun The quality of being ancient; ancientness; great age; as, a statue of remarkable antiquity; a family of great antiquity.
- noun Old age. [Obs.]
Etymology [L. antiquitas, fr. antiquus: cf. F. antiquité. See Antique.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “antiquity”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details