What does antiquary mean?
An antiquary is a person who studies, collects, or preserves antiquities — old objects, coins, manuscripts, inscriptions, and other relics of earlier times. The word carries a distinctly literary and slightly old-fashioned tone, evoking the scholarly enthusiasts of the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries who combed the countryside for Roman remains and medieval charters long before archaeology became a formal discipline. Such figures were often affectionately mocked in fiction as absent-minded eccentrics surrounded by dusty cabinets of curiosities, yet their patient record-keeping laid real foundations for modern historical scholarship. Learned bodies such as the Society of Antiquaries of London grew out of this tradition. Today the term survives mainly in historical writing and period fiction, with 'antiquarian' serving as its more common modern counterpart for anyone devoted to the study of the material past.
nounA person who studies or collects antiquities — old objects, books, manuscripts, and relics of the past — especially as a hobby or scholarly pursuit.
- A person who studies, collects, or deals in antiquities and objects of historical interest.
"The aged antiquary spent his mornings cataloguing Roman coins in his cluttered study."
"The village antiquary had spent forty years documenting every inscribed stone in the county."
"In his novel, Scott portrays an eccentric antiquary whose passion for relics of the past shapes the whole plot."
The plural 'antiquaries' is standard and also appears in the names of learned societies, e.g. 'Society of Antiquaries'.
"Several antiquaries gathered at the manor to examine the newly found hoard."
Before archaeology existed as a science, it was antiquaries — often eccentric gentlemen with dusty parlors — who dug up, collected, and preserved Britain's ancient past.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of antiquary
The word 'antiquary' derives from the Latin 'antiquarius', meaning 'pertaining to ancient things', itself formed from 'antiquus', meaning 'old' or 'ancient'. It entered English in the late sixteenth century, during the Renaissance revival of interest in classical and national antiquities. It shares this Latin root with related words such as 'antique', 'antiquity', and 'antiquated'. The derived form 'antiquarian' later became the more standard term for a student of antiquities.
Related word forms
How antiquary is actually used
The word has a somewhat old-fashioned, literary flavor in modern English; 'antiquarian' is now the more common term for a student of antiquities. The plural sense 'the Antiquaries' historically referred to learned societies devoted to historical study, such as the Society of Antiquaries of London (founded in the early 18th century).
Easily confused with antiquary
An antiquarian is essentially the same kind of person (a student of antiquities); 'antiquary' is the older, more literary term, while 'antiquarian' is now more common and also refers to things relating to the study of antiques.
An antique is an old collectible object itself, whereas an antiquary is the person who collects or studies such objects.