Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

relic

 - definition
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
noun [countable] British English pronunciation: relic /ˈrelɪk/ 
Word Forms
Close
singularrelic
pluralrelics
  2. 2
    something such as a system or rule that remains from an earlier time or situation

    The ban on fund-raising activities is a relic from the previous administration.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  relicThesaurus entry for this meaning of relic
  3. 3
    humorous a piece of evidence or a sign of something that has existed or happened recently

    A few dirty glasses were the only relics of the night before.

    Thesaurus entry for this meaning of  relicThesaurus entry for this meaning of relic

This is the British English definition of relic. View American English definition of relic.

Change your default dictionary and thesaurus to American English.

 

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

glottal stop

a sound made by stopping air as it passes through your throat. In some varieties of spoken...

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog