neoclassic

or ne·o-clas·sic

[nee-oh-klas-ik]

adjective

(sometimes initial capital letter) belonging or pertaining to a revival of classic styles or something that is held to resemble classic styles, as in art, literature, music, or architecture.

(usually initial capital letter) Fine Arts. of, relating to, or designating a style of painting and sculpture developed principally from the mid-18th through the mid-19th centuries, characterized chiefly by an iconography derived from classical antiquity, a hierarchical conception of subject matter, severity of composition and, especially in painting, by an oblique lighting of forms in the early phase and a strict linear quality in the later phase of the style.

Architecture. of, relating to, or designating neoclassicism.

(sometimes initial capital letter) Literature. of, relating to, or designating a style of poetry or prose, developed chiefly in the 17th and 18th centuries, rigidly adhering to canons of form that were derived mainly from classical antiquity, that were exemplified by decorum of style or diction, the three unities, etc., and that emphasized an impersonal expression of universal truths as shown in human actions, representing them principally in satiric and didactic modes.

Also ne·o·clas·si·cal, ne·o-clas·si·cal.

Origin of neoclassic

First recorded in 1875–80; neo- + classic

Related formsne·o·clas·si·cist, ne·o-clas·si·cist, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for neo-classical

Contemporary Examples of neo-classical

So I choreographed a duet for two women in the neo-classical style, and sent it to competitions for feedback.
From Iraq To Lincoln Center, A Marine’s Return to Ballet
Roman Baca
August 6, 2012
And instead of the classic striped charcoal trousers, a neo-classical striped charcoal skirt.
Tripping on Obama's Coattails
Patricia J. Williams
January 9, 2009

Historical Examples of neo-classical

The artists of the neo-classical school, with their pompous but severe forms, paid more attention to line than to color.
The Standard Galleries - Holland
Esther Singleton
Boileau carries the neo-classical ideal of nature and art to its ultimate perfection.
A History of Literary Criticism in the Renaissance
Joel Elias Spingarn

Word Origin and History for neo-classical

also neoclassical, style of art, architecture, etc., influenced by classical patterns, 1859, especially in reference to 18th century English literature; from neo- + classical. Related: Neo-classicism/neoclassicism.