classic

American  

[klas-ik] / ˈklæs ɪk /

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.

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noun

• classics
  plural

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 British  

/ 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

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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 Cultural  

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.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonclassic
  adjective
• preclassic
  adjective
• quasi-classic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• classics
  plural

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

classic classics

Finally, the Sun goes for a classic "Ewedunnit?" – reporting: "Furious Jeremy Clarkson last night revealed 11 sheep had been stolen from his farm."

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Marin gave us New Age music and Pablo Cruise; it also gave us Jim Carroll’s indelible punk classic, “People Who Died.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

Though Jason and his Argonauts get top billing in the 1963 B-movie classic, it’s Ray Harryhausen’s sword-wielding troop of the undead that steal the show.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

Starbucks said it doesn’t cost more to add classic syrup or chai to the revised drinks, even if flavors like vanilla or brown sugar go for a standard 80 cents extra.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

Nurtured by love: The classic approach to talent education. 2nd ed.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

With the spooky genre dominating theaters, it was only a matter of time before the studios reopened their vaults to reboot classics as TV series.

From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026

He said the book was influenced by classics, adding: "One of the only poems I can recite is The Owl and the Pussycat and I suppose there's a similar metre to that."

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Cecilia Rosas, a Brazilian researcher and translator of Russian literature, hailed the interest in the classics on social media.

From Barron's ● Sep. 4, 2026

Then we revisit classics of various stripes on the small screen, from a further-future “Blade Runner” to “A Different World” relaunch to “East of Eden” to “Pride and Prejudice.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

My grandfather lacked the necessary classics degree; he hadn’t even graduated from university.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

Related Words

• simple
• typical
• usual