An antique is something old and valuable, typically at least 100 years old. That rocking chair in your grandmother's attic might be an antique if it was crafted in the 1800s. A coin from ancient Rome, a painting from the Renaissance, or a pocket watch that survived the Civil War: these are all antiques.

Age alone doesn't make something an antique: value matters too. A 100-year-old broken bucket probably isn't valuable, but a 100-year-old handmade quilt might be worth thousands of dollars. Antiques are prized because they're well-crafted, historically interesting, or increasingly rare. They connect us to the past in a tangible way. When you hold an antique compass, you might wonder: Who used this? What journeys did it guide?

People collect antiques and display them in homes and museums. Some become more valuable over time because fewer survive, or because more people want them. An antique dealer buys and sells these old treasures, often becoming an expert at identifying what's genuine and what's a fake.

As an adjective, antique describes something old-fashioned or from an earlier era: “The house had antique furniture throughout.” You might hear someone joke about feeling antique when they're tired or achy, playfully comparing themselves to something old and creaky.