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classicist

American  
[klas-uh-sist] / ˈklæs ə sɪst /
Also classicalist

noun

  1. an adherent of classicism in literature or art (romanticist ).

  2. an authority on the classics; a classical scholar.

  3. a person who advocates study of the ancient Greek and Roman classics.


classicist British  
/ ˈklæsɪkəlɪst, ˈklæsɪsɪst /

noun

    1. a student of ancient Latin and Greek

    2. a person who advocates the study of ancient Latin and Greek

  1. an adherent of classicism in literature or art

"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

Other Word Forms

  • anticlassicalist noun
  • anticlassicist noun
  • classicistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of classicist

First recorded in 1820–30; classic + -ist

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.

By the late-19th century, “Grub Street” had become a generic term for ambitious, worldly—and mostly talentless—writers, everything the classicist Gissing abhorred.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

The experience apparently alienated McClery, who found the righteous path under the tutelage of the classicist Allan Greenberg, the only designer born in the 20th century that McClery counts among his influences.

From Slate • Aug. 5, 2025

"Edison Denisov was a classicist with very subtle yet strict logic. Alfred Schnittke was a romantic. My style could be best described as archaic."

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

His papers at the University of Illinois — he was a classicist there — have yet to be processed.

From Salon • Apr. 20, 2024

Coleman is a classicist who studied at Oxford and a former consultant for McKinsey & Company who clearly enjoys his role as a provocateur.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove