Antiques

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ænˈtiːks/

Definitions

1. Objects that are valued for their age as well as their historical and cultural significance
2. Items from the past collected for their historical importance and rarity
3. Objects from an earlier period appreciated because of their age and uniqueness

Etymology: The plural noun "antiques" is the form of "antique," which the source traces to French "antique" ("ancient, old"), itself from Latin "antiquus," meaning "former, earlier, ancient." Latin built it from "ante," "before," so the root idea is simply something that existed before. That sense of age is what the noun keeps. An antique was once just an old object, and the word only narrowed to mean valuable old things as collecting grew more common. Its close relative "antic," a doublet that came into English by a different route, once meant something grotesque or odd, and it later shifted toward playful, silly behaviour. The two words share a Latin ancestor yet ended up with very different personalities.

Synonyms: collectibles, relics, artifacts, vintage items, old items

Antonyms: new items, modern goods, contemporary items, current products, recent acquisitions