relic
/ˈɹɛlɪk/noun, verb, adjective
relic is spelled R-E-L-I-C: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.3 times per million words in written English, the 17,813th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, relic means “That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of relic is relics.
How many letters and syllables are in relic?
| Letters | 5: R-E-L-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.3 times per million words; the 17,813th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is relic?
Relic appears 2.3 times per million words in written English, the 17,813th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce relic?
- /ˈɹɛlɪk/
Relic has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-relic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with relic?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as relic.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: crile.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of relic
- relics plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- relicing participle, present
- relicking participle, present
- reliced participle, past
- relicked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does relic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
That which remains; that which is left after loss or decay; a remaining portion.
- 2
Something old and outdated, possibly kept for sentimental reasons.
- 3
A part of the body of a saint, or an ancient religious object, kept for veneration.
- 4
A particle or entity that has existed since the Big Bang.
verb
- 1
To cause (an object) to appear old or worn, to distress.
adjective
- 1
Pertaining to the Big Bang.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Relic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | reliquat , relique |
| Spanish | reliquia, vestigio |
| German | Reliquie , Relikt |
| Portuguese | relíquia |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does relic come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).