The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word ARCHAISM
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
A
R
C
H
A
I
S
M
More clues leading to the result ARCHAISM
- Is jabbing American after somewhat cheeky expression of age
- Support intention to retain singular old expression
- Old word revealing a right rift around India!
- Relic I discovered in a rooftop crater
- Refined charisma, a thing of the past
- Dated term for 22 is retained in America
- It was once said I should invade Arabian Gulf
- Charisma sadly is a thing of the past
- Words of old chief end when son cuts in
- ‘Charisma’ — new yet old term
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Relic" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case relic = archaism.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does ARCHAISM mean?
ARCHAISM noun- The adoption or imitation of archaic words or style.
- An archaic word, style, etc.