relic

noun

ˈre-lik How to pronounce relic (audio)
Definition of relicnext
1
as in artifact
a tiny often physical indication of something lost or vanished a crude stone ax and other relics of the Neanderthals

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 Boruck, of Orland Park, and Brousil, of Tinley Park, have shared a lot together, including their passion for praying in the presence of holy relics. — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 29 June 2026 Here, Malvazija Istarska is usually dry, mineral, and distinctly Adriatic — not a relic of sweetness. — Layne Randolph, Forbes.com, 27 June 2026 It's taken a team of Cambodian investigators led by Brad Gordon, an American lawyer, more than 10 years to document the theft of thousands of ancient statues and relics by a British collector named Douglas Latchford. — Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 28 June 2026 Museum of Miami The Museum of Miami, formerly HistoryMiami, holds the relics and artifacts that were excavated at the Miami Circle. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic
  1. artifact
  2. antique
  3. dinosaur
  4. corpse
  5. trace
  6. has-been
  7. carcass
  8. remnant
Noun
  • Nearby is the Lincoln Museum, filled with period artifacts and wax-figure dioramas that span the breadth of his life, from his early cabin years to the finality of Ford's Theatre.
    — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The museum, where materials recovered from the site are stored, created a small but compelling exhibit in its downtown Miami galleries that includes a variety of artifacts from the circle site.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Definition of artifact
Noun
  • Stroll the historic downtown for antiques, art, and more, all while the adjacent Truckee River provides a natural soundtrack.
    — Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 1 July 2026
  • Whether vintage or antique, these rugs are typically made from natural fibers, specifically wool, and often originate from the Middle East, Asia, or North Africa.
    — Michelle Mastro, The Spruce, 29 June 2026
Definition of antique
Noun
  • Beyond the rides, families can climb the Lookout Towers, meet baby dinosaurs, and explore interactive play areas.
    — Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 5 July 2026
  • Schindler compared Pluto's reclassification to the dinosaur Brontosaurus, which was renamed Apatosaurus after further study before later regaining its original classification as scientists refined their understanding.
    — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of dinosaur
Noun
  • Watkins has been charged with a felony count of delivery of narcotics and a misdemeanor count of abuse of a corpse.
    — Madeline Bartos, CBS News, 30 June 2026
  • The viruses trigger the same type of disease and are spread via the same methods — contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person, or the preparation of an infected corpse for traditional burials.
    — Helen Branswell, STAT, 30 June 2026
Definition of corpse
Noun
  • Foad adds that the idea of eliminating toxins comes from sweat washing away trace amounts of heavy metals from the skin, rather than flushing toxins from inside the body.
    — Alexandra Frost, USA Today, 1 July 2026
  • When its inevitable end arrives, the sun’s core will exhaust the last traces of hydrogen fuel and kick off the first stellar death pangs.
    — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026
Definition of trace
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
  • Ken Blake Brea Sorry to see Jerry Neuheisel leave UCLA to join traitor and coaching has-been Chip Kelly at Northwestern.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2026
Definition of has-been
Noun
  • Nearby Elephant Butte Lake, a draw for outdoorsy tourists, is so severely drought-depleted that sunbaked fish carcasses line its shores.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2026
  • Tick Free Martha’s Vineyard plans to build a processing facility for the carcasses; the meat, most of it donated to a local food pantry, is in high demand.
    — Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of carcass
Noun
  • Although astronomers are pretty sure there is a neutron star in the heart of the remnant based on indirect evidence, no pulsar radio emissions have yet been detected.
    — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 6 July 2026
  • But beyond these genetic remnants, the exact nature of any interactions between our species and Neanderthals is much more of a mystery.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 6 July 2026
Definition of remnant

Browse Nearby Words

reliant
relic
relics
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Cite this Entry

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on relic

Nglish: Translation of relic for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about relic

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