adj · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈɹɛlɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:R EH1 L IH0 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Pertaining to the Big Bang.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
1797, Ann Radcliffe, The Italian, London: T. Cadell Jun. & W. Davies, Volume 2, Chapter 6, p. 184, It appeared, from [...] the ruins scattered distantly along its skirts, to be a part of the city entirely abandoned by the modern inhabitants to the reliques of its former grandeur.
Something old and outdated, possibly kept for sentimental reasons.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A part of the body of a saint, or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: lifestyle, religion
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: halidom
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A particle or entity that has existed since the Big Bang.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: astronomy, cosmology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
verb
Meaning 6
To cause (an object) to appear old or worn, to distress.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: often, transitive, uncommon
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
noun
Meaning 7
something of sentimental value
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: keepsake, souvenir, token
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: object, physical object
Narrower terms: love-token, party favor, party favour, favor, favour
8
noun
Meaning 8
an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: antiquity
Narrower terms: archeological remains
History
Etymology
From Middle English relik et al., from Old French relique, from Latin reliquiae (“remains, relics”), from relinquō (“to leave behind, abandon, relinquish”), from re- + linquō (“to leave, quit, forsake, depart from”). Doublet of relict, derelict, and relinquish.
Across languages
Translations
106 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
أَثَر
(ʔaṯar)
— that which remains
Armenian:
մնացորդ
(mnacʻord)
— that which remains
Armenian:
նշխար
(nšxar)
— that which remains
Bashkir:
ҡомартҡы
(qomartqı)
— that which remains
Bulgarian:
останка
(ostanka)
— that which remains
Catalan:
relíquia
— that which remains
Chinese Mandarin:
遺跡 /遗迹
(yíjì)
— that which remains
Chinese Mandarin:
遺物 /遗物
(yíwù)
— that which remains
Czech:
pozůstatek
— that which remains
Czech:
relikt
— that which remains
Finnish:
jäännökset
— that which remains
French:
reliquat
— that which remains
Greek:
απομεινάρι
(apomeinári)
— that which remains
Ancient Greek:
ἀπομεινάριον
(apomeinárion)
— that which remains
Hebrew:
שָׂרִיד
(saríd)
— that which remains
Hungarian:
maradvány
— that which remains
Hungarian:
maradék
— that which remains
Indonesian:
relik
— that which remains
Indonesian:
peninggalan
— that which remains
Japanese:
遺物
(ibutsu)
— that which remains
Japanese:
遺跡
(iseki)
— that which remains
Korean:
유물
(yumul)
— that which remains
Korean:
유적
(yujeok)
— that which remains
Macedonian:
о́станка
(óstanka)
— that which remains
Middle English:
relik
— that which remains
Norwegian Bokmål:
levning
— that which remains
Russian:
оста́нки
(ostánki)
— that which remains
Spanish:
reliquia
— that which remains
Spanish:
vestigio
— that which remains
Vietnamese:
di tích
— that which remains
Walloon:
rilike
— that which remains
Bashkir:
ҡомартҡы
(qomartqı)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Bulgarian:
сувенир
(suvenir)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Catalan:
relíquia
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Czech:
přežitek
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Finnish:
muisto
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Finnish:
muistoesine
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Galician:
reliquia
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
German:
Relikt
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Greek:
ενθύμιο
(enthýmio)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Ancient Greek:
ἐνθύμιον
(enthúmion)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Hungarian:
emlék
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Italian:
ricordo
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Italian:
avanzo
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Macedonian:
рели́квија
(relíkvija)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Macedonian:
рели́кт
(relíkt)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Macedonian:
сувени́р
(suvenír)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Māori:
o(w)ha
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Polish:
przeżytek
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Polish:
relikt
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Portuguese:
relíquia
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Romanian:
relicvă
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Russian:
рели́квия
(relíkvija)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Russian:
рели́кт
(relíkt)
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Tagalog:
relikaryo
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Walloon:
rilike
— old thing, possibly kept for sentimental reasons
Arabic:
ذَخِيرَة
(ḏaḵīra)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Armenian:
մասունք
(masunkʻ)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Belarusian:
мо́шчы
(móščy)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Bulgarian:
мо́щи
(móšti)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Chinese Mandarin:
聖髑 /圣髑
(shèngdú)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Czech:
relikvie
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Danish:
relikvie
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Dutch:
relikwie
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Esperanto:
relikvo
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Finnish:
pyhäinjäännös
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Finnish:
reliikki
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
French:
relique
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
German:
Reliquie
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Greek:
κειμήλιο
(keimílio)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Greek:
λείψανο
(leípsano)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Ancient Greek:
κειμήλιον
(keimḗlion)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Ancient Greek:
λείψανον
(leípsanon)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Hungarian:
ereklye
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Hungarian:
relikvia
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Icelandic:
helgur dómur
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Indonesian:
relikui
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Irish:
taise
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Old Irish:
cathach
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Italian:
cimelio
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Italian:
reliquia
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Japanese:
聖遺物
(seiibutsu)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Korean:
성유물
(seong'yumul)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Macedonian:
мо́шти
(móšti)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Macedonian:
рели́квија
(relíkvija)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Middle English:
relik
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Norwegian Bokmål:
relikvie
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Norwegian Nynorsk:
relikvie
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Church Slavic:
мощи
(mošti)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Old Galician-Portuguese:
relica
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Polish:
relikwia
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Portuguese:
relíquia
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Romanian:
moaște
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Russian:
мо́щи
(móšči)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Serbo-Croatian:
мо̏шти
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Serbo-Croatian:
релѝквија
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Serbo-Croatian:
mȍšti
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Serbo-Croatian:
relìkvija
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Slovak:
relikvia
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Slovene:
relikvija
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Spanish:
reliquia
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Tagalog:
agnos
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Tagalog:
relikaryo
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Ukrainian:
мо́щі
(móšči)
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Walloon:
rilike
— part of a body or an object of religious significance
Welsh:
crair
— part of a body or an object of religious significance