antiquity

/ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/

//ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"antiquity" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“antiquity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,402 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#16,402
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ancient times; faraway history; former ages.

Key facts for antiquity
PropertyValue
Headwordantiquity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/
Letters9
Frequency rank#16,402
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “antiquity” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). antiquity lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for antiquity is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,402 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for antiquity, with forms such as "anitquity", "anntiquity", and "antiqiuty". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English antiquyte, antiquite, antiquytee, a borrowing from Old French antiquité, antiquitet, from Latin antiquitas, from antiquus. Equivalent to antique + -ity. See antique, antic. Compare with French antiquité. The correct English form is antiquity, spelled A-N-T-I-Q-U-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ancient times; faraway history; former ages.
  2. 2
    The people of ancient times.
  3. 3
    An old gentleman.
  4. 4
    The historical period preceding the Middle Ages (c. 500-1500), primarily relating to European history.
  5. 5
    A relic or monument of ancient times, such as a coin, a statue, etc.; an ancient institution.
  6. 6
    The state of being ancient or of ancient lineage.

Etymology

From Middle English antiquyte, antiquite, antiquytee, a borrowing from Old French antiquité, antiquitet, from Latin antiquitas, from antiquus. Equivalent to antique + -ity. See antique, antic. Compare with French antiquité.

This word in other languages

antigüedad(Español)Antiquité(Français)Antike(Deutsch)antiguidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anitquity,anntiquity,antiqiuty,antiqquity,antiquitty,antiquityy,antiquiyt,antiqutiy,antiuqity,antqiuity,anttiquity,atniquity,natiquity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of antiquity - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

anitquity2anntiquity1antiqiuty2antiqquity1antiquitty1antiquityy1antiquiyt2antiqutiy2
Edit distance from "antiquity"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "antiquity"?
"antiquity" is spelled A-N-T-I-Q-U-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/.
What does "antiquity" mean?
As a noun, "antiquity" means: Ancient times; faraway history; former ages.
What are common misspellings of "antiquity"?
Common misspellings include "anitquity", "anntiquity", "antiqiuty", "antiqquity", "antiquitty". The correct spelling is "antiquity".
How do you pronounce "antiquity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "antiquity" is /ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "antiquity"?
From Middle English antiquyte, antiquite, antiquytee, a borrowing from Old French antiquité, antiquitet, from Latin antiquitas, from antiquus. Equivalent to antique + -ity. See antique, antic. Compare with French antiquité. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “antiquity”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-T-I-Q-U-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ænˈtɪk.wɪ.ti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list