antelope

American  

[an-tl-ohp] / ˈæn tlˌoʊp /

noun

plural

antelopes,

plural

antelope

1. any of several ruminants of the family Bovidae, chiefly of Africa and Asia, having permanent, hollow, unbranched horns.

2. leather made from the hide of such an animal.

3. pronghorn.

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antelope British  

/ ˈæntɪˌləʊp /

noun

1. any bovid mammal of the subfamily Antilopinae, of Africa and Asia. They are typically graceful, having long legs and horns, and include the gazelles, springbok, impala, gerenuk, blackbuck, and dik-diks

2. any of various similar bovids of Africa and Asia

3. another name for pronghorn

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Other Word Forms

• antelopian adjective
• antelopine adjective

Etymology

Origin of antelope

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English antelop, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin antalopus, from Medieval Greek anthólops, a fabulous beast described by Eustathius of Antioch (died 337); origin of word unknown

Compare meaning

How does antelope compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• pronghorn vs. antelope
• antelope vs. gazelle

Example Sentences

In the 1990s, he even introduced a herd of scimitar-horned oryxes, as part of a conservation effort to protect the endangered Saharan antelope.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

In that case, sources said, most new Joshua tree growth would come from seeds brought into the burn scar by seed dispersers like antelope squirrels.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

For instance, rock art in Zimbabwe mainly depicts kudu antelopes, she says, whereas similar San sites in nearby South Africa focus on another antelope, the eland.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 27, 2024

Leopards are nocturnal animals that hunt a variety of prey, including wildebeest, antelope and fish, the Kruger National Park website says.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024

They had emerged—loosely speaking—because an ancestral antelope had produced a long-necked variant that had been progressively selected by a natural force, such as a famine.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee