What does relic mean?
A relic is something that remains from an earlier time, usually an object or part of a person, building, tradition, or historical event that is valued for its age, rarity, or cultural significance. The word often suggests preservation through change: a relic may be kept in a museum, venerated as a sacred object, or simply survive as evidence of a former way of life. In figurative use, “a relic of the past” identifies a custom, institution, or feature that seems outdated or belongs to a much earlier period. The word comes through Old French from Latin reliquiae, meaning “remains” or “things left behind.” Relics are consequently both physical survivors and symbols of historical continuity, carrying information about the past even when their original function has disappeared.
An object, part, or trace that has survived from an earlier period, especially one valued for its historical, cultural, or religious importance.
"The crown is one of the most important relics in the national collection."
The word can be literal or figurative. In religious contexts, it may refer to an object believed to have spiritual significance.
To make obsolete or outdated; to render unnecessary through age or changing circumstances.
"New technology rapidly reliced the old recording system."
This verb is archaic and rare in modern English.
The standard plural of “relic.”
"The archaeologists carefully catalogued the relics found in the buried chamber."
From Latin reliquiae, meaning “remains,” a relic is literally a piece of the past that refused to disappear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does relic come from?
The English word entered Middle English through Old French relique, which derived from Latin reliquiae, “remains” or “things left behind.” Latin reliquiae came from reliquus, meaning “remaining” or “left over.” The form also developed in English as relique, while reliquary is a later related word for a container in which such remains or sacred objects are kept.
Related word forms
How relic is actually used
“Relic” is commonly used for physical objects from the past, while figurative uses refer to traces of something that no longer exists. The verb form is archaic and rare, meaning to make obsolete or outdated.
Easily confused with relic
A relic is a surviving object or trace, whereas a relict is an archaic term for a widow or, in modern historical writing, a person whose spouse has died.