classic

[ klas-ik ]

adjective

1. of the first or highest quality, class, or rank:

   a classic piece of work.

2. serving as a standard, model, or guide:

   the classic method of teaching arithmetic.

3. of or relating to Greek and Roman antiquity, especially with reference to literature and art.
4. modeled upon or imitating the style or thought of ancient Greece and Rome:

   The 17th and 18th centuries were obsessed with classic ideals.

5. of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods:

   a classic example of mid-Victorian architecture.

6. basic; fundamental:

   the classic rules of warfare.

7. of enduring interest, quality, or style:

   a classic design; classic clothes.

8. of literary or historical renown:

   the classic haunts of famous writers.

9. traditional or typical:

   a classic comedy routine.

10. definitive:

    the classic reference work on ornithology.

11. of or relating to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948.

noun

1. an author or a literary work of the first rank, especially one of demonstrably enduring quality.
2. an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
3. (the) classics, the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome.
4. an artist or artistic production considered a standard.
5. a work that is honored as definitive in its field:

   His handbook on mushrooms is a classic.

6. something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering:

   His reply was a classic.

7. an article, as of clothing, unchanging in style:

   Her suit was a simple classic.

8. 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.

9. Archaic. a classicist.

classic

/ ˈklæsɪk /

adjective

1. of the highest class, esp in art or literature
2. serving as a standard or model of its kind; definitive
3. adhering to an established set of rules or principles in the arts or sciences

   a classic proof

4. characterized by simplicity, balance, regularity, and purity of form; classical
5. of lasting interest or significance
6. continuously in fashion because of its simple and basic style

   a classic day dress

noun

1. an author, artist, or work of art of the highest excellence
2. a creation or work considered as definitive
3. horse racing
   1. 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
   2. a race equivalent to any of these in other countries

classic

1. A descriptive term for a period in Western music, encompassing roughly the last half of the eighteenth century, that includes the works of Franz Josef Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the early works of Ludwig van Beethoven , among other composers.

Other Words From

• non·classic adjective
• pre·classic adjective
• quasi-classic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of classic¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of classic¹

C17: from Latin classicus of the first rank, from classis division, rank, class

Example Sentences

Originally, the game had been scrapped because of the Summer Olympics, historically a time when the league does not play the midseason classic.

From FiveThirtyEight

This year, the move to remote presidential conventions matches the loss of many classic American staples.

From Fortune

When it was first announced that this classic ’90s gem was coming to Netflix this month, it broke the internet and set “Moesha” trending.

From Ozy

It is the oldest long-distance trail in the United States and one of the classics for attempting a fastest known time.

From FiveThirtyEight

And, in the wake of the film’s success, a revival of even more Nollywood classics is on the cards over the next 18 months.

From Quartz

In the classic skillset of piloting, mental acuity, and its coordination with hand and foot movements, is equally vital.

From The Daily Beast

Monir is not interested in classic dances like tango or ballet.

From The Daily Beast

Week after week, The Daily Beast features classic stories from the past that prove great writing is timeless.

From The Daily Beast

And you though you knew everything about the Christmas classic.

From The Daily Beast

A glossary of what all those strange phrases in classic Christmas songs really mean.

From The Daily Beast

It is likely that in the classic days of Greece men began to make simple experiments of a chemical nature.

From Project Gutenberg

The elegance of his stature and the pensive melancholy of his classic features invested him with a peculiar power of fascination.

From Project Gutenberg

But these ripe and classic works will surpass everything we have heard since Glinka.

From Project Gutenberg

The tall, slender Spaniard, swarthy and of classic feature, looks about him with suppressed disdain.

From Project Gutenberg

There was, in classic times, a sacred character attached to all places set apart for the purposes of sepulture.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• simple
• typical
• usual