ENGLISH
REFERENCE

antique

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ænˈtik// UK //æntˈiːk// an·tique Archaic Vulgar

n. an old object, such as a piece of furniture or jewelry, that is valuable because it is rare and in good condition. Usually, it must be at least 100 years old to have this name.

n. a collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has high value because of its considerable age. In the trade, it typically refers to items at least one hundred years old.


SIMPLE

My grandmother left me a beautiful antique desk.

CONTEXTUAL

The couple spent their weekends visiting small towns to search for a rare antique to place in their hallway.

COMPLEX

While many reproductions look authentic to the untrained eye, a true antique possesses a patina and construction method that reveal its historical origins to a specialist.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from French antique (“ancient, old”), from Latin antiquus (“former, earlier, ancient, old”), from ante (“before”); see ante-. Doublet of antic.

Usage

Often used as a noun-adjunct to modify other nouns, such as in 'antique shop' or 'antique dealer'.

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