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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classics
plural
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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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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; see class, -ic
Explanation
The noun classic describes something that's very high quality, particularly if it has lasting value. The pristine Model T Ford that you keep in your garage is a classic, but the beat-up old clunker you drive every day is not. You can also use the adjective classic to describe something that relates to ancient Greece or Rome. You can enjoy the classic Greek-style columns on the outside of your house but still appreciate the modern plumbing on the inside of it. Classic also means excellent, of recognized authority, or definitive. Classic literature, for example, includes that written by authors like Mark Twain and Jane Austen.
Vocabulary lists containing classic
Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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Words for the World Series
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Words for Cheese Writers
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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.
See Examples For:
Though she showed many classic early childhood indicators — sensitivity to noise, extremely limited food preferences, rigid adherence to routine and difficulties understanding social nuances — no one suggested she was autistic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Cinematographer Brandon Trost does an incredible job blending classic 2D animation into drab law offices and conference rooms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
A modern day karaoke classic, Parton recorded this hit with fellow US country star Kenny Rogers, external as the lead single for his 1983 album, Eyes That See in the Dark.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
On guitar, Thorn offers a sound that can be as classic as you need it to be while immaculately executing new Whigsian concoctions.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Since there is an equal chance of a marble bouncing left or right at each peg, the marble stacks in the bins below will, on average, form the classic bell-shaped curve of normal distribution.”
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
Dolly Parton's classics like "Jolene" and "9 to 5" will live on long after her death, but will we get new music from the Queen of Country as well?
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Together they read and discuss some of their absent host’s collection of Greek and Latin classics, including Seneca’s “Trojan Women” and Ovid’s “Metamorphoses.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
In fact, he's looking forward to touring Thrasher, simply for the joy of playing new material, and re-arranging some of the classics.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The rise in popularity of revival screenings, which find audiences packing theaters in Los Angeles and around the world for acknowledged classics and rediscovered obscurities, has brought a joyful energy back to theaters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
At that stage, we had no real urge even to push our favorite classics at the two of you—not, anyway, with the same gusto that we had at the twins or Boo Boo.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
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.
