reliquary

noun

rel·​i·​quary ˈre-lə-ˌkwer-ē How to pronounce reliquary (audio)
plural reliquaries
: a container or shrine in which sacred relics are kept

Examples of reliquary in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An emerald necklace and earrings from the matching set of Empress Marie-Louise were also reportedly snatched alongside a reliquary brooch, Empress Eugénie’s diadem and her large corsage-bow brooch. Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2025 Several more of the empress's brooches were also on display in the gallery, including some known as reliquary brooches, which are constructed to hold a sacred relic, a symbol of Eugénie’s Catholic faith. Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2025 Each of these reliquary sculptures reminds us that art can register loss without nostalgia and sadness without despair. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2025 Other reliquaries purported to hold strands from the Virgin Mary and even Jesus himself. David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reliquary

Word History

Etymology

French reliquaire, from Medieval Latin reliquiarium, from reliquia relic — more at relic

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reliquary was in 1550

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Cite this Entry

“Reliquary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reliquary. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

reliquary

noun
rel·​i·​quary ˈrel-ə-ˌkwer-ē How to pronounce reliquary (audio)
plural reliquaries
: a small box or shrine in which sacred relics are kept

More from Merriam-Webster on reliquary

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