antiquarian

1 of 2

noun

an·​ti·​quar·​i·​an ˌan-tə-ˈkwer-ē-ən How to pronounce antiquarian (audio)
: one who collects or studies antiquities

antiquarian

2 of 2

adjective

1
: of or relating to antiquarians or antiquities
2
: dealing in old or rare books
antiquarianism noun

Examples of antiquarian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In 1852, however, the antiquarian Richard Hitchcock visited the site and concluded that the tomb had been dismantled, perhaps so that its stones could be reused elsewhere. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024 The few copies of her books that remained reached fantastic prices on the open market (a hardback first edition of Twice Lost costs $300 today), and so people who had copies, usually antiquarians or mystery enthusiasts, described the stories to those who couldn’t find or afford them. Joanna Biggs, Harper's Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024 There are also references to the figure in a 1734 letter by the then-Bishop of Bristol and a 1738 letter by antiquarian Francis Wise. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2024 Bad Animal, a rare and used bookstore and natural wine bar, has wines from California and beyond, along with books ranging from $4 paperbacks to $40,000 antiquarian volumes. Lauren Sloss, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Nov. 2023 Michael Dawson is a third-generation Los Angeles bookseller from the celebrated antiquarian book and photography sellers. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023 In the mid-19th century, a British antiquarian named Sir Thomas Phillipps announced his intention of owning one copy of every book in the world. Franz Lidz, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2023 Mac antiquarians will be pleased to know that ProtectWorks supports all versions of the operating system back to Snow Leopard (10.6), and Intego goes back to Mavericks (10.9). PCMAG, 13 Sep. 2023 The scholar and antiquarian John Leland was one of the men Henry dispatched to monasteries in search of volumes containing information that would justify his new position as head of the church. V.m. Braganza, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Aug. 2023
Adjective
These appealed to Morgan’s antiquarian side as well as his desire to commune with biblical events via earliest accounts. Texts such as the Algonquin Bible, an early Native American Bible, and William Tynedale’s English Bibles from the 1530s show how Christianity’s messaging evolved. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 18 Jan. 2024 The market for rare and antiquarian books is having a moment, having wrapped up another year of record sales and attractive returns. Vikram Barhat, WSJ, 4 Jan. 2024 Columnist Patt Morrison roams the rich history of the city’s new, used, rare, secondhand, antiquarian bookstores. Donna Wares, Los Angeles Times, 18 Nov. 2023 Looking for the murderer of a friend, members of the Thursday Murder Club find suspects in the antiquarian industry. 10 THE ILIAD (W. W. Norton, $39.95). Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2023 Looking for the murderer of a friend, members of the Thursday Murder Club find suspects in the antiquarian industry. 3 THE VASTER WILDS (Riverhead, $28). Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 LaKeith Stanfield, playing a single note with building intensity, stars as Apollo, a dealer in antiquarian books. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Sep. 2023 The fair brings together international exhibitors, including galleries, cultural institutions and antiquarian booksellers to share a wide range of art books. Steven Vargas, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2023 To these thinkers, liberal democracy and its hallowed principles represented antiquarian relics of an Enlightenment age that threatened Western culture and identity. Matthew Rose, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'antiquarian.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1595, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1610, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of antiquarian was in 1595

Dictionary Entries Near antiquarian

Cite this Entry

“Antiquarian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antiquarian. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

antiquarian

1 of 2 noun
an·​ti·​quar·​i·​an ˌant-ə-ˈkwer-ē-ən How to pronounce antiquarian (audio)

antiquarian

2 of 2 adjective
: of or relating to antiquaries or antiquities

More from Merriam-Webster on antiquarian

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