relict

1 of 2

noun

rel·ict ˈre-likt

: widow

: a surviving species of an otherwise extinct group of organisms

also : a remnant of a formerly widespread species that persists in an isolated area

: a relief feature or rock remaining after other parts have disappeared

: something left unchanged

relict

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being a relict

relict populations

Did you know?

The oldest English sense of "relict" is extinct-or at least obsolete. In the 16th century, relict meant "an object esteemed and venerated because of association with a saint or martyr," but that meaning is now covered by "relic," a related word that can also refer to something left behind after decay or disappearance. "Relict" was also used to refer to a widow at one time, but now that sense is more or less limited to legal uses. It seems fitting that "relict" has outdated senses; after all, it derives ultimately from the Latin verb relinquere, meaning "to leave behind."

Examples of relict in a Sentence

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Noun

But the New Zealand Department of Conservation lists the reptiles as at risk — relict, a denotation reserved for species that declined to a small population but have since stabilized. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

in sense 1, from Middle English relicte, from Late Latin relicta, from Latin, feminine of relictus, past participle of relinquere; in senses 2 & 3, from relict residual, adjective, from Latin relictus

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of relict was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century