a relic of the past

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

something — a custom, institution, technology, belief, or artefact — that survives from an earlier historical period and now appears outmoded, obsolete, or anachronistic in its current context; the term derives from the religious meaning of relic as a physical remnant of a saint or sacred person preserved for veneration, but in secular usage a relic of the past is typically something whose time has passed and whose continued existence is a curiosity or impediment rather than a source of value; the phrase is used critically to describe laws, social norms, institutions, or technologies that have not kept pace with changing circumstances and whose persistence slows adaptation and progress; it can also be used affectionately to describe charming survivals that connect the present to a richer or more interesting past