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Added 1 October 2026

relic

/ˈɹɛlɪk/ noun

Latin root: reliquiae Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about relic at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

An antiquity that has survived from the distant past.
Something of sentimental value.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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