Antique — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /(ˌ)an-ˈtēk/ an·tique

Meaning & Definition of Antique

Antique (adjective)

  1. existing since or belonging to earlier times, ancient
  2. being in the style or fashion of former times
  3. made in or representative of the work of an earlier period; also, being an antique

Antique (noun)

  1. a relic or object of ancient times
  2. a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago
  3. a manufactured product (such as an automobile) from an earlier period

Antique (verb)

  1. to finish or refinish in antique style, give an appearance of age to
  2. to shop around for antiques

Antique (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. dating or surviving from the distant past

    "studied shards from antique pots made by the Pueblos of the Southwest"

    similar: age-old, aged, ancient, antediluvian, dateless, hoar, hoary, immemorial, old, venerable
    related: aging, mature, antiquated, archaic, archaistic, dated, fusty, geriatric, medieval, moldy, Noachian, obsolete, outmoded, out-of-date, passé, old-fashioned, old-time, old-world, retro, vintage, durable, enduring, lasting, long-lived, permanent, ageless, hallowed, time-honored, timeless, time-tested, timeworn, traditional, tried, tried-and-true, classic, classical, prehistoric, primeval, primordial
    opposite: modern, new, recent
    near: fresh, vernal, young, youthful, contemporary, current, latest, mod, novel, present-day, ultramodern, untested, untried, brand-new, unused, unworn

  2. pleasantly reminiscent of an earlier time

    "loved to collect antique sugar tongs"

    similar: old-fashioned, old-school, old-time, old-timey, old-world, oldfangled, quaint, retro, retrograde, vintage
    related: antiquated, moldy, obsolete, rinky-dink, historic, historical, olden, traditional, old hat, outdated, outmoded, out-of-date, outworn, passé, superannuated, dated, fusty, moth-eaten, musty, stodgy, aged, age-old, ancient, antediluvian, atavistic, fossilized, hoary, venerable, bygone, erstwhile, former, late, past, forgotten, remote, ageless, dateless, timeless, anachronistic, anachronous
    opposite: contemporary, current, hot, mod, modern, modernist, modernistic, new age, newfangled, new-fashioned, present-day, red-hot, space-age, state-of-the-art, ultramodern, up-to-date
    near: fresh, new, chic, designer, fashionable, smart, stylish, modernized, refurbished, remodeled, renewed, updated, last, latest, futuristic, high-tech, latter-day, nontraditional, recent

Antique (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something belonging to or surviving from an earlier period

    "their house is filled with rare antiques, including a collection of 19th-century African masks"

    similar: museum piece, relic
    related: artifact, fossil, dinosaur, antiquities, ruins, hangover, remains, remnant, trace, vestige

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Antique

The most common words with a similar meaning to Antique:

age-old, aged, ancient, antediluvian, dateless, hoar, hoary, immemorial, old, venerable, old-fashioned, old-school, old-time, old-timey, old-world, oldfangled, quaint, retro, retrograde, vintage, museum piece, relic

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Antique

Words with the opposite meaning of Antique:

modern, new, recent, contemporary, current, hot, mod, modernist, modernistic, new age, newfangled, new-fashioned, present-day, red-hot, space-age, state-of-the-art, ultramodern, up-to-date

Related Words for Antique

aging, mature, antiquated, archaic, archaistic, dated, fusty, geriatric, medieval, moldy, Noachian, obsolete, outmoded, out-of-date, passé, durable, enduring, lasting, long-lived, permanent, ageless, hallowed, time-honored, timeless, time-tested, timeworn, traditional, tried, tried-and-true, classic

Near Antonyms of Antique

fresh, vernal, young, youthful, latest, novel, untested, untried, brand-new, unused, unworn, chic, designer, fashionable, smart, stylish, modernized, refurbished, remodeled, renewed, updated, last, futuristic, high-tech, latter-day, nontraditional

Word Forms of Antique

Inflections: antiqued, antiquing

Derived words: antiquer (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Antique

Middle French, from Latin antiquus, from ante before ante-

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Antique

Words & Phrases Containing Antique

semi-antique, verd antique

Frequently Asked Questions about Antique

What does "Antique" mean?

"Antique" means existing since or belonging to earlier times, ancient. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: existing since or belonging to earlier times, ancient. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Antique"?

Other words for "Antique" include age-old, aged, ancient, antediluvian, dateless, hoar, hoary and immemorial. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Antique" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Antique"?

There are 88 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Antique". Common alternatives include age-old, aged, ancient, antediluvian, dateless, hoar, hoary, immemorial, old and venerable.

What is the opposite of "Antique"?

Antonyms of "Antique" include modern, new, recent, contemporary, current, hot, mod and modernist. Near antonyms include fresh, vernal, young and youthful.

How do you use "Antique" in a sentence?

Examples of "Antique" in a sentence: "studied shards from antique pots made by the Pueblos of the Southwest"; "loved to collect antique sugar tongs"; "their house is filled with rare antiques, including a collection of 19th-century African masks".

Is "Antique" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Antique" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Antique" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Antique" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Antique"?

"Antique" is pronounced /(ˌ)an-ˈtēk/ and divided into syllables as an·tique.