classic

[klas-ik]

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.

noun

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

/ 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

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

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonclassic adjective
• preclassic adjective
• quasi-classic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of classic¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of classic¹

C17: from Latin classicus of the first rank, from classis division, rank, _class

Example Sentences

It was housed inside the former West Coast CBS headquarters where classic shows such as “I Love Lucy” were filmed and iconic musicians such as Janis Joplin and the Beach Boys recorded.

From Los Angeles Times

“The first time I walked into his personal recording studio, the first thing I noticed was a huge print of ‘Bride of Frankenstein,’ our 1935 classic, hanging on the wall.

From Los Angeles Times

Andy joins the longer history of a franchise wherein the androids are often at odds with Isaac Asimov’s classic Three Laws of Robotics.

From Salon

Golden Fleece — Offering a classic Greek menu in an elevated and contemporary setting, Golden Fleece is right in the heart of Greektown.

From Salon

The late 1960s and ‘70s delivered a host of classic horror films, from “Rosemary’s Baby” to “The Exorcist” to “The Stepford Wives” to “Alien.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• simple 
• typical 
• usual