antiquity Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the historic period preceding the Middle Ages in Europe
  2. noun extreme oldness
    ancientness.
  3. noun an artifact surviving from the past

WordNet

An*tiq"ui*ty noun
Etymology
L. antiquitas, fr. antiquus: cf. F. antiquité. See Antique.
Wordforms
plural Antiquities
Definitions
  1. The quality of being ancient; ancientness; great age; as, a statue of remarkable antiquity; a family of great antiquity.
  2. Old age. Obs.
    It not your voice broken? . . . and every part about you blasted with antiquity? Shak.
  3. Ancient times; former ages; times long since past; as, Cicero was an eloquent orator of antiquity.
  4. The ancients; the people of ancient times.
    That such pillars were raised by Seth all antiquity has vowed. Sir W. Raleigh.
  5. An old gentleman. Obs.
    You are a shrewd antiquity, neighbor Clench. B. Jonson.
  6. A relic or monument of ancient times; as, a coin, a statue, etc. ; an ancient institution. In this sense, usually in the plural. "Heathen antiquities." Bacon.

Webster 1913