antiquity Hear it!

antiquity Definition

an·tiqui·ty (an tik′wə tē)

noun pl. -·ties

  1. the early period of history, esp. before the Middle Ages
  2. the quality of being ancient or old; great age a statue of great antiquity
  3. the people of ancient times
    1. relics, monuments, etc. of the distant past
    2. ancient manners, customs, etc.

Etymology: ME & OFr antiquite < L antiquitas < antiquus: see antique

antiquity Synonyms

antiquity

n.

  1. The quality of being old

    antiqueness, ancientness, oldness, elderliness, age, old age, great age, venerableness, hoariness, archaism, archaicism, obsolescence.

    Antonyms newness*, modernity, youthfulness.

  2. An object out of the past; used in plural

    artifact, monument, relic; see antique, relic 1.

  3. Ancient times

    remote times, ancient times, old days, former ages, the olden time, days of old, days of yore, distant past, ancient history, classical times, Homeric age, Athens, Etruscan period, ancient Egypt, Chou Dynasty, Roman era, era before Christ, pagan times, Babylon, Biblical days, Hellenistic period, Dark Ages, early ages, the time before the Middle Ages.

    Antonyms present*, modern times, contemporary times.

antiquity Usage Examples

Preposition: of

  • county: Meyrick, Sir Samuel Rush.(1783-1848 ) The History and Antiquities of the county of Cardigan.

Converse of object

  • loot: The allegations have led to increased fears that London may now be a major clearing center for looted antiquities from around the world.
  • smuggle: In April, Yemeni police arrested a three-man gang trying to smuggle pre-Islamic antiquities over the border into Saudi Arabia.
  • steal: Italian police have recently charged Franco Zanetti with selling stolen antiquities from an Internet site.
  • discover: Or discover antiquities dating from the Phoenician era at the island's National Archeological Museum.
  • collect: Clearly the major motivation for collecting antiquities is an interest in past civilisations.
  • indicate: Both species of lime are present, indicating the antiquity of the woodland.

Adjective modifier

  • classical: A wide range of options is offered, covering topics from classical antiquity to the present day.
  • portable: It may also be affected by the Portable Antiquities recording schemes.
  • stolen: In combination with the Customs laws, it will assist in prohibiting the import of stolen antiquities.
  • Egyptian: The Emperor Hadrian is known to have collected Greek marbles and Egyptian antiquities.
  • Oriental: British Museum, London Link to the Home Page of the Dept. of Oriental Antiquities.

Modifies a noun

  • dealer: The intermediaries are the national antiquities dealers who may or may not be aware of what they are doing.
  • collector: The types and the word BRITANNIA are generally clear Authenticated by a professional coin and antiquity collector.
  • trade: In a response, Steven Vincent of Art & Auction magazine argues that suppressing the antiquities trade is no answer.
  • market: On-line auctions: a new venue for the antiquities market.

Noun used with modifier

  • Greco-Roman: Greek Historiography The course looks at the origins and development of history-writing in Greco-Roman antiquity.
  • journal: Our friendly colleagues on the academic journal Antiquity recently launched an Antiquity prize for the best article published during the year.
antiquity Quotes

Antiquite¤  . öen tout ce qui s'y rapporte: Est poncif, embe"  tant! etc. Antiquity. And everything to do with it, cliche¤  d and boring.

—Flaubert, Gustave

Among the smaller islands there is one of fair size that is now called the Isle of Man† There was a great controversy in antiquity concerning the question: to which of the two countries should the island properly belong? Eventually, however, the matter was settled. All agreed that since it allowed poisonous reptiles to live in it, it should belong to Britain.

—Gerald of Wales also called Giraldus Cambrensis

Martin Luther†was enforced to awake all antiquityand to call former times to his succour to make a party against the present time, so that the ancient authors both in divinityand in humanity which had long time slept in libraries began generally to be read and revolved.

—Bacon, Francis,Viscount St Albans

   I have now reached the point where I can look over the great art of antiquityand its Renaissance.But, for myself, I cannot find anyartistic connection with ourown times. And to want to create something outside of one's own age strikes me as suspect.

—Klee, Paul

Woebetidethemanwhogoestoantiquity for thestudyof anything other than ideal art, logic and general method!

—Baudelaire, Charles

Conservatism discards Prescription, shrinks from Principle, disavows Progress; having rejected all respect for antiquity, it offers no redress for the present, and makes no preparation for the future.

—Disraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield