Definition of relicnext
1
2
as in antique
something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period in my grandparents' attic are many "groovy" relics from the 1960s

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
as in dinosaur
one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity his courtly manners marked him as a relic of a more refined and formal era

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in remains
relics plural a dead body though it is believed that missionary died in New Guinea, his relics have never been found

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of relic These poles are not relics but living records of family lineage, alliances, and legends. Josh Rivera, USA Today, 13 May 2026 For those in the Rotunda that December day, and for tens of millions of visitors over the next half century, the overwhelming power of the Declaration as symbol and relic was manifest. Literary Hub, 13 May 2026 This importance may derive from its antiquity, its role as a major pilgrimage site, its association with a saint or relic, or its historical or spiritual value. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May 2026 In Milan, Jaeger-LeCoultre smartly avoided presenting the Atmos as a relic of engineering nostalgia. Taylor Stoddard, Robb Report, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • Many of the artifacts were visiting the United States for the first time.
    Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • The artifact was found on the grounds of Vindonissa, a major Roman legionary camp.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • Don't miss The People’s Store, which houses more than 50 European, American, and Asian antiques dealers.
    Hannah Howard, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026
  • The New York City version of the fine art, antiques and design fair Tefaf will also run concurrently at the Park Avenue Armory.
    Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Noun
  • Or, perhaps most dramatically, one such clustering happened some 66 million years ago when an asteroid collided with Earth, darkening the skies and likely wiping out the dinosaurs - and over half of all plant species.
    Ari Daniel, NPR, 19 May 2026
  • Rafa smiles and picks up another dinosaur by its tail.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 May 2026
Noun
  • The Museo Nazionale del Cinema’s collection traces cinema’s full technological arc from early street-show curiosities to the modern moving image.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 May 2026
  • There’s nothing simple or reductive about the emotional throughlines the documentary traces.
    Sheri Linden, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • In the Seventies, he was mocked as a Vegas has-been in a jumpsuit; in the Eighties, as a cultural colonizer.
    Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
  • When her estranged daughter unexpectedly moves into their crumbling Manhattan townhouse, the TV has-been is confronted with the one role she’s spent her entire life avoiding: motherhood.
    Peter White, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The Lincolns wed on November 4, 1842, in the Edwardses’ parlor, where Mary’s corpse would be laid out four tumultuous decades later.
    Thomas Mallon, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
  • But that one rampaging invader unleashes enough destruction and mayhem for a whole army, hurling cars and trucks and motorcycles through the air like toys, tearing though buildings as if they were made of cardboard, and leaving the streets littered with bloodied corpses.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026
Noun
  • Roofing and storm damage Charlotte is exposed to severe thunderstorms, hail and occasional remnants from hurricanes that push inland from the coast.
    Ryan Brennan May 15, Charlotte Observer, 15 May 2026
  • At least 50 tropical storms or hurricane remnants have either affected or moved over California and Arizona, including storms that fell apart offshore and remnants of storms that moved north after making landfall somewhere to the south along the Baja California Peninsula.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 15 May 2026
Noun
  • While not yet similar event occurred just two years ago in Australia during a marine heat wave, when researchers estimated more than 600,000 seabirds died, with most never recorded in beach counts because carcasses often never reach shore.
    Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 12 May 2026
  • However, his subsequent decision to stage a public prank using the carcass signifies a shift in purpose.
    Sam Zeveloff, STAT, 9 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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