noun
antiquity
an-TIK-wuh-tee/ænˈtɪkwəti/
A state of belonging to the distant past.
The ruins and broken pottery are reminders of antiquity.
Etymology
The formation names the quality of being ancient, but the Latin noun also meant ancient times themselves. English uses that time sense especially for the world of ancient Greece and Rome.
In context
ancient bamboo and wood inscriptions that are over 2,000 years old these were original books of antiquity
More examples
- The building’s antiquity was beyond dispute.
- Several antiquities were recovered from the site.
- Scholars study the cities of classical antiquity.
Forms
antiquity · antiquities
ancient adjective — from the distant past
Similar words
- the past
- The past includes all earlier time; antiquity usually means the ancient historical past.
- prehistory
- Prehistory precedes written records; antiquity can include well-documented ancient civilizations.