ENGLISH
REFERENCE

relic

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //ˈɹɛɫɪk// UK //ɹˈɛlɪk// rel·ic

n. an object from the past that has survived into the present, often because it is old or special. It can also be a part of a holy person's body or clothes kept as a religious object.

n. an object, custom, or belief that has survived from an earlier time but is now outmoded; in a religious context, a part of a deceased holy person's body or belongings kept as an object of reverence.


SIMPLE

The old steam engine is a relic of the industrial age.

CONTEXTUAL

The museum displays several medieval relics, including a fragment of a saint's robe and ancient coins.

COMPLEX

The crumbling fortress stands as a silent relic of a forgotten empire, its stones bearing witness to centuries of conflict and cultural shift.

Synonyms
Origin

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

Usage

Often used with 'of' to indicate the time period or culture it originated from.

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