US /ˈɹɛlɪk/
noun verb adj Freq #12172

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    An old object or custom that has survived from the past.

    The museum displays relics from ancient Rome.

  2. 2
    noun

    Something old and outdated that still remains, often kept for sentimental reasons.

    That old phone is a relic from the 1990s.

  3. 3
    noun

    A part of a holy person's body or a sacred object kept and honoured for religious reasons.

    Pilgrims travelled far to see the saint's relics.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
2 noun · something old and outdated... remnantleftover
Word family
Forms relicksrelics
Derived forms relicalreliclikerelicmonger

Etymology

From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“to leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“to leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and relinquish.

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