antiquity
antiquity — noun
1. the long historical period running roughly from the earliest known civilizations
the long historical period running roughly from the earliest known civilizations through the fall of Rome — most often used to refer to the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome before the Middle Ages.
Professor Aoki teaches a course on warfare in classical antiquity.
fixed phrase: classical antiquity for Greek/Roman period
In antiquity, Athenian citizens met on a hill called the Pnyx to vote on new laws.
prepositional phrase: in antiquity meaning long ago
The museum in Rome shows how olive oil was pressed and stored in antiquity.
Few written records from deep antiquity have survived the wars and floods of later centuries.
- ancient times
everyday equivalent; antiquity is more formal and academic
- the ancient world
emphasizes the geographical sweep of cultures, not just the time
- the classical era
narrower — usually only Greek and Roman civilization
- modernity
the contemporary era and its way of life
文法句型
in antiquity
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed phrases 'classical antiquity' (Greek and Roman world) and 'in antiquity' (during that period). Distinguish from sense 2: this sense names the era itself, not the age of an object.
常見錯誤
2. the quality of having existed for an extremely long stretch of time — used when
the quality of having existed for an extremely long stretch of time — used when stressing how impressively old a building, custom, document, or tradition is.
The wooden bridge in the village is of considerable antiquity, dating back to the Heian period.
fixed pattern: of (considerable / great) antiquity
Scholars argue about the antiquity of the manuscript hidden in the abbey library.
the antiquity of + noun
This New Year ritual has an antiquity that surprises most first-time visitors to Kyoto.
The farmhouse, of unquestioned antiquity, still has its original stone hearth.
- age
neutral; antiquity stresses extreme age and is more formal
- ancientness
rare and clunky; antiquity is preferred in writing
- newness
the property of having existed only briefly
文法句型
of (considerable / great) antiquity
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the pattern 'of [adjective] antiquity' or 'the antiquity of [noun]'. Distinguish from sense 1: here antiquity is a property something HAS, not the period it belongs to.
常見錯誤
3. a coin, statue, vase, or similar object made in ancient times that has survived
a coin, statue, vase, or similar object made in ancient times that has survived to the present day, usually kept in a museum or held by a collector.
The Cairo museum just bought a small bronze antiquity that was smuggled out of Iraq in the 1990s.
countable singular use
Police arrested two dealers for selling stolen Roman antiquities at a London auction house.
plural form: stolen antiquities
Maria works as a curator and spends her days cataloguing antiquities from a Greek shipwreck.
The new law makes it illegal to take antiquities out of the country without a permit.
文法句型
antiquities (plural)
用法筆記
Most often used in the plural ('antiquities') for collections, trade, and law. Distinguish from sense 1 (the era) and sense 2 (great age): this sense is concrete — a thing you can pick up or display.