relic
gb/ɹˈɛlɪk/ us/ɹˈɛlɪk/
B2
English
~ 9700
ereklye, tárgyi emlék, anakronizmus, őskövület, szent ereklye, relikvia
NOUN
B2
1
ereklye
C1
tárgyi emlék
B2
Usage pattern:
[relic] of/from [a time/place]
The museum displayed relics from the shipwreck, including plates and pieces of clothing.
A múzeum a hajóroncsból származó leleteket állította ki, köztük tányérokat és ruhadarabokat.
During the renovation, workers found a relic of the original house buried in the garden.
A felújítás során a munkások a kertben elásva találták meg az eredeti házból származó egyik tárgyi emléket.
The old typewriter on his desk is a relic from his first job as a journalist.
Archaeologists carefully cleaned the relic to avoid damaging its fragile surface.
This ring is a family relic that has been passed down for generations.
Learner examples
The village keeps many relics in a small museum.
A falu sok ereklyét őriz egy kis múzeumban.
This cup is a relic from my grandmother’s kitchen.
Ez a csésze a nagymamám konyhájából megmaradt ereklye.
They found a relic from the old city under the new road.
The castle holds relics from a long time ago.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'relic' for any old object. In everyday speech, 'relic' usually suggests special historical, cultural, or emotional value, not just age. They may also confuse 'relic' with 'relict', which is a different, rare word in technical fields.
Meaning
old surviving object from past
Collocations
ancient relic
|historic relic
|family relic
|cultural relic
|relic of the past
|relic from the war
Synonyms
artifact (Usually refers to an object made or used by humans, especially in archaeology; less emotional than 'relic'.)
|
antique (Focuses on age and value, often for buying and selling, not necessarily on historical meaning.)
|
memento (Emphasizes personal memory or emotion more than age or historical importance.)
Antonyms
modern item (Stresses that something is recent and not from a distant past.)
|
innovation (Highlights newness and change, the opposite of something old that has simply survived.)
Themes
history
|culture
|core_vocabulary
|arts_entertainment
Definition
An old thing from the past that people keep because it is special or important.
An object that has survived from an earlier time, often kept because it has historical, cultural, or sentimental interest.
NOUN
C1
2
anakronizmus
C1
őskövület
B2
Usage pattern:
[someone/something] is a relic of [an earlier time/era]
Some people see the royal ceremony as a charming relic of the past.
Vannak, akik a királyi ceremóniát a múlt bájos anakronizmusának tartják.
He jokes that his old flip phone makes him a relic in the age of smartphones.
Viccelődik, hogy a régi kagylótelefonja miatt őskövületnek számít az okostelefonok korában.
The strict dress code feels like a relic of another era.
Many argue that the law is a relic of colonial times and should be changed.
That factory is a relic of industrial practices that no longer make sense today.
Learner examples
My father says he is a relic because he still uses CDs.
Apám azt mondja, ő őskövület, mert még mindig CD-ket használ.
This rule is a relic from many years ago.
Ez a szabály sok évvel ezelőttről megmaradt anakronizmus.
The tiny office is a relic of old work life.
People call him a relic because his ideas are very old.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is often slightly negative or humorous. Saying 'She is a relic' about someone can sound rude, so in polite speech it is safer to use it for customs, laws, or objects rather than for people.
Meaning
person or thing seen as outdated
Collocations
a relic of the past
|a Victorian relic
|social relic
|political relic
|a relic of old thinking
Synonyms
dinosaur (Informal and often negative; used for a person or organization that refuses to change.)
|
fossil (Informal and a bit rude when used about a person; stresses being extremely old-fashioned.)
|
holdover (Neutral; something that has continued from an earlier time but may not sound as old or strange as a 'relic'.)
Antonyms
modernizer (Someone who brings in new ideas, opposite of a person seen as stuck in the past.)
|
trendsetter (A person who leads new fashions or ideas, the opposite of seeming old-fashioned.)
Themes
society
|attitudes
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
A person or thing that feels too old for today and seems to belong to the past.
A person, custom, or thing that is seen as very old-fashioned and belonging to an earlier time rather than the present.
C1
TECHNICAL
3
relikvia
C1
Usage pattern:
[religious group/place] keeps/displays [holy relic]
Pilgrims traveled for days to see the relic of the saint’s hand.
A zarándokok napokon át utaztak, hogy láthassák a szent kezének ereklyéjét.
The church claims to hold several relics from the early Christian martyrs.
A templom azt állítja, hogy több ereklyét őriz az őskeresztény vértanúktól.
The relic was carried through the streets during the annual religious procession.
A jeweled box in the chapel contains what believers say is a holy relic.
For centuries, the monastery guarded the relic as its greatest treasure.
Learner examples
Many people came to see the holy relic in the church.
Sokan jöttek, hogy megnézzék a templomban őrzött szent ereklyét.
The relic of the saint is kept in a special box.
A szent ereklyéjét egy különleges dobozban őrzik.
They believe the relic has great spiritual power.
The city is famous because it has an important relic.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the general historical sense and may call any old religious object a 'relic'. In this sense, a relic is specifically the remains of a holy person or an object directly linked to them and treated as sacred.
Meaning
sacred remains or holy object
Collocations
holy relic
|sacred relic
|religious relic
|venerated relic
|relic shrine
|relics of the saint
Synonyms
sacred object (General term; does not specifically mean remains of a holy person.)
|
reliquary contents (More technical; refers to what is inside a container for relics.)
Antonyms
ordinary object (Something with no special religious meaning or status.)
|
profane item (In religious language, something not sacred and possibly disrespectful to the holy.)
Themes
religion
|history
Definition
The body of a holy person, or something that belonged to them, that people keep and respect as very special in a religion.
The physical remains of a holy person, or an object closely associated with them, kept and honored as sacred in some religious traditions.
Grammar
Dictionary form
relic
IPA
GB/ɹˈɛlɪk/
US/ɹˈɛlɪk/
Syllables & stress
rel - ic (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (rel)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: relic
- Plural: relics
Word family
Forms
relics
noun
Related words
reliquary
noun
Expressions
a relic of the past
1/ə ɹˈɛlɪk əv ðə pˈæst/
fixed phrase
something old that still exists
Used to say that something is very old-fashioned and belongs to an earlier time, but is still here now.
Examples
- Many people see cash as a relic of the past in an increasingly digital world.
- Some call the old factory a relic of the past that should be turned into a museum.
- For younger workers, the idea of a job for life is a relic of the past.