classic
Americanadjective
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of the first or highest quality, class, or rank.
a classic piece of work.
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serving as a standard, model, or guide.
the classic method of teaching arithmetic.
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of or relating to Greek and Roman antiquity, especially with reference to literature and art.
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modeled upon or imitating the style or thought of ancient Greece and Rome.
The 17th and 18th centuries were obsessed with classic ideals.
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of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods.
a classic example of mid-Victorian architecture.
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basic; fundamental.
the classic rules of warfare.
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of enduring interest, quality, or style.
a classic design; classic clothes.
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of literary or historical renown.
the classic haunts of famous writers.
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traditional or typical.
a classic comedy routine.
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definitive.
the classic reference work on ornithology.
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of or relating to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948.
noun
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an author or a literary work of the first rank, especially one of demonstrably enduring quality.
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an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
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(the) classics, the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome.
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an artist or artistic production considered a standard.
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a work that is honored as definitive in its field.
His handbook on mushrooms is a classic.
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something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering.
His reply was a classic.
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an article, as of clothing, unchanging in style.
Her suit was a simple classic.
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a typical or traditional event, especially one that is considered to be highly prestigious or the most important of its kind.
The World Series is the fall classic of baseball.
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Archaic. a classicist.
adjective
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of the highest class, esp in art or literature
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serving as a standard or model of its kind; definitive
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adhering to an established set of rules or principles in the arts or sciences
a classic proof
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characterized by simplicity, balance, regularity, and purity of form; classical
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of lasting interest or significance
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continuously in fashion because of its simple and basic style
a classic day dress
noun
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an author, artist, or work of art of the highest excellence
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a creation or work considered as definitive
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horse racing
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any of the five principal races for three-year-old horses in Britain, namely the One Thousand Guineas, Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks, and Saint Leger
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a race equivalent to any of these in other countries
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Other Word Forms
- nonclassic adjective
- preclassic adjective
- quasi-classic adjective
Etymology
Origin of classic
First recorded in 1605–15; (from French classique ), from Latin classicus “belonging to a class, belonging to the first or highest class,” equivalent to class(is) “class” + -icus adjective suffix; class, -ic
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
What makes the album a timeless classic are its catchy melodies; shrewd arrangements that caught the culture’s disco obsession; and Mr. Scaggs’s earthy, confessional lyrics and intimate voice.
Despite popular opinion, the filmmaker behind “Promising Young Woman,” “Saltburn,” and her latest movie, a loose and playful adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic novel, “Wuthering Heights,” is not out to get the audience.
From Salon
The brief breakdown below the very round $200 level proved to be a classic bear trap, with price quickly reclaiming that threshold and squeezing late shorts.
From Barron's
“I want to put a classic car back out in the streets, one at a time, every single day if I can.”
From Los Angeles Times
As one of the leading independent home-video sellers specializing in classic and contemporary films, Criterion confirmed to The Times the company’s sales are seeing “significant year-over-year increases.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
