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.
A Ralph Lauren Christmas is defined by rich textures: wool, velvet, leather, dark woods, classic tartan patterns, pine cones and candles.
Maybe she’s not the classic image of defiance, but she’s certainly a modern one.
From Salon
Mounfield's coffin - decorated with the classic paint splashed artwork from The Stone Roses first album - was carried into the cathedral as family and friends followed, with more applause from the crowd.
From BBC
That clash, which had the No. 1 seed in the NFC on the line, became an instant classic when Seattle overcame a 16-point deficit through a play that left everyone scratching their heads.
Sarah Tucker, an educator who lives alone in the classic Chicago greystone that her family has owned since 1979, isn’t sure she can hold on.
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.
