RELIC Synonyms: 58 Similar and Opposite Words

relic

noun

ˈre-lik

Definition of relic

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

Relevance

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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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

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 Among those cosmic relics are raw organic building blocks, the kind that may have seeded life on Earth. — Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2026 Plunge into this immersive epic, uncovering what chilling relics risk escaping the thawing ice. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026 Plaintiffs challenging the prohibition on home distilling claim the 1868 law is an antiquated relic of Reconstruction-era politics. — Michael Kunzelman, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2026 When the Eighties began, McCartney decided to focus full-time on his solo career and leave Wings forever a relic of the prior decade. — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for relic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for relic

Noun

Ship models, ancient navigation instruments, maps, and shipwreck artifacts illustrate the skills and dangers involved in these journeys.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
People have the ability to share specific Muse artifacts, which creates a page that can be accessed by those with the link.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of artifact

Noun

With a rustic aesthetic, the cottage is charming and artsy, with antique finds from the owners' travels around the world.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
The enterprise continued in Bangkok, the home of Nino’s maternal grandparents, where the budding artist discovered a wealth of antiques and toothsome Thai fruits.

— Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of antique

Noun

An ancient family The mass extinction that caused the dinosaurs’ demise may have created an environment for the king-size fungus to evolve and thrive, according to the study.

— Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026
The boy's parents released their own statement remembering their son as strong and kind with a love for rainbows and unicorns along with sharks and dinosaurs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of dinosaur

Noun

Twenty-three-year-old Avia Cantrell is now charged with capital murder, while a man believed to be her boyfriend, 26-year-old Camron Baker, is charged with abuse of a corpse.

— Erin Jones, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
The sheer number of corpses meant that traditional burial ceremonies were forgotten for a time, and mass unmarked grave sites were used outside the city walls.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of corpse

Noun

Two new clades of the virus, SHAV-EU1 and SHAV-EU2, were detected earlier this year, and genetic testing revealed traces of the first type in the deceased person’s cerebrospinal fluid, urine and saliva, among other samples.

— Sahas Mehra, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
The investigation remains active and ongoing, noting that additional arrests are possible as detectives continue to review physical evidence, trace leads and establish the full sequence of events.

— Eric Mack, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of trace

Noun

The manuscript Wayne read to us that night chronicled his involvement with Gloria Swanson, the towering star of Hollywood’s Golden Age who enjoyed latter-day acclaim in 1950 playing a delusional has-been in Sunset Boulevard.

— Mike Hogan, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
That career move quickly fizzled, leaving a sloppy drunk has-been in the debris.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of has-been

Noun

When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, its carcass provides sustenance for deep-sea organisms for centuries, triggering a shockwave of life.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Traditional surveys of carcasses along roadways have shown that crossings do reduce wildlife collisions.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of carcass

Noun

That remnant has now yielded direct physical evidence that ice sheets might have reversed their retreat and started to grow again thousands of years ago.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Oct. 2026
The coastal flooding in the next few days is expected to be different from earlier rounds, which were heavily influenced by powerful swells from the remnants of hurricanes Marie and Rachel.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of remnant

Browse Nearby Words

reliant

relic

relics

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Style

“Relic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/relic. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of relic

noun

Example Sentences

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