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

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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 The Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle is a time capsule of relics from the 20th and 21st centuries. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 19 Apr. 2026 While the hour and minute hands are missing, the seconds hand is frozen in time, showing the moment the cold Atlantic Ocean water filled the jewelry item, which is now considered a historic relic. Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026 Most of these relics are easy to spot and even easier to replace. Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2026 Every year, millions of visitors pass through the doors of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, each drawn to a different work of art, a different relic, a different masterpiece. Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
Noun
  • There was another ceremony that summer where Karen received the honorary road sign, which still hangs proudly in a corner in her house with some other Captain Herb artifacts.
    Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 26 Apr. 2026
  • For over 100 years, this soil has been excavated, consistently yielding impressive artifacts related to legionary life.
    Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Mansour’s Oriental Rug Gallery opened in 1979, selling antique and handmade Oriental and Persian rugs, according to its website.
    Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Check into the Hotel Due Torri, a centuries-old grande dame with an impressive collection of antiques.
    Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Dinosaurs is a 10-acre outdoor attraction featuring more than 40 life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, along with walking trails, live shows and interactive exhibits.
    Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Scientists have studied giant octopus relatives that roamed when dinosaurs were around, and researched some small octopuses that drilled into clams.
    CBS News, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Scientists identified plant traces by sequencing microscopic DNA fragments found in dust and fibers collected from the Shroud, rather than discovering visible food remains.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Apr. 2026
  • The Level 5 accident dumped radioactive contamination across Europe and it is thought that traces of isotope iodine-131 may have caused several hundred cancer diagnoses.
    Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 25 Apr. 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
  • Tamisha Cheyniece Drake, 33, of Lufkin, has been charged with abuse of a corpse, a state jail felony, according to the Angelina County Sheriff's Office.
    Doug Myers, CBS News, 27 Apr. 2026
  • Many fans on social media are lauding his accomplishment of dragging a bloated corpse of a roster to a 3-0 series lead at 41 years of age without Austin Reaves or Luka Doncic in the fold.
    Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Know your evacuation route This is good advice for everyone who may be in the path of a hurricane (or its remnants), not just coastal residents.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 1 May 2026
  • Only Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Darnell Nurse join McDavid and Draisaitl as remnants from that series.
    Eric Stephens, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • Anacapa Island, for instance, has no services aside from some primitive campsites, a lighthouse and limited hiking options, but is also a major seabird rookery from April to August, which translates to lots of bird poop, noise, bird carcasses and territorial bird behavior.
    Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026
  • New York has implemented a strict policy that no deer carcasses can be brought into the state, despite whether it was shot in a chronic wasting disease positive state or not.
    Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 3 May. 2026.

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