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definitions

classicism

[klas-uh-siz-uh m]
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noun

the principles or styles characteristic of the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome.
adherence to such principles.
the classical style in literature and art, or adherence to its principles (contrasted with romanticism).Compare classical(def 7).
a Greek or Latin idiom or form, especially one used in some other language.
classical scholarship or learning.

RELATED WORDS

grandeur, majesty, symmetry, purity, polish, clarity, severity, proportion, elegance, rhythm, objectivity, simplicity, finish, sobriety, formality, refinement, lucidity, class, dignity, propriety

Nearby words

  1. classical probability,
  2. classical sanskrit,
  3. classical school,
  4. classicalism,
  5. classically,
  6. classicist,
  7. classicistic,
  8. classicize,
  9. classics,
  10. classifiable
Also clas·si·cal·ism [klas-i-kuh-liz-uh m] /ˈklæs ɪ kəˌlɪz əm/.

Origin of classicism

First recorded in 1820–30; classic + -ism
Related formsclas·si·cis·tic [klas-uh-sis-tik] /ˌklæs əˈsɪs tɪk/, adjectivean·ti·clas·si·cal·ism, nounan·ti·clas·si·cism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for classicism

British Dictionary definitions for classicism

classicism

classicalism (ˈklæsɪkəˌlɪzəm)

noun

a style based on the study of Greek and Roman models, characterized by emotional restraint and regularity of form, associated esp with the 18th century in Europe; the antithesis of romanticismCompare neoclassicism
knowledge or study of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome
  1. a Greek or Latin form or expression
  2. an expression in a modern language, such as English, that is modelled on a Greek or Latin form
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for classicism

classicism

n.

"classical style in art or literature," 1830, from classic + -ism. Related: Classicist.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Culture definitions for classicism

classicism

An approach to aesthetics that favors restraint, rationality, and the use of strict forms in literature, painting, architecture, and other arts. It flourished in ancient Greece and Rome, and throughout Europe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Classicists often derived their models from the ancient Greeks and Romans.

Note

Classicism is sometimes considered the opposite of romanticism.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.