Antique

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˌanˈtiːk/

Definitions

1. An object of considerable age, typically valued for its aesthetic, historical, or cultural significance
2. An item that is both aged and esteemed for its rarity, craftsmanship, and historical lineage is often considered a collectible treasure
3. An object that has existed for a long time and is often appreciated for its craftsmanship, historical context, or aesthetic appeal

Etymology: The adjective "antique" and the noun for an old valued object are the same word, and the noun sense is the one that most readers encounter first. The word came into English by borrowing from French "antique," meaning "ancient, old," which itself descends from Latin "antiquus," meaning "former, earlier, ancient." The Latin root is "ante," "before," so the core idea is simply something that exists from an earlier time. Antique is a doublet of "antic," a word that entered English through a different route and kept a much more lively sense of the old. "Antic" once described ancient, classical ornament, such as the grotesque carvings and figures found in Roman ruins, and it later took on the meaning of playful or ridiculous behaviour. The two words share a source but went in quite different directions, with "antique" settling into the sense of dignified age and "antic" drifting toward mischief.

Synonyms: old, vintage, ancient, historic, classic

Antonyms: modern, new, contemporary, recent, up-to-date