classic
/ˈklæsɪk/ adjective, noun
Forms classics classick
- adjective Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
- adjective Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class or category; typical; archetypical; epitomic. “He has a classic case of narcissism.”
- adjective Exhibiting timeless quality and excellence. “"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a 1960 classic book by Harper Lee.”
- adjective Characteristic of or from the past; old; retro; vintage. “watching classic movies as a hobby”
- adjective Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, especially to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds.
- adjective Traditional; original. “Users who dislike the new visual layout can return to classic mode.”
- adjective (informal) Humorously ironic or apposite. “It was classic—the way she slipped on a banana peel while she was telling us all to be careful!”
- noun A perfect and/or early example of a particular style.
- noun An artistic work of lasting worth, such as a film or song; a work of enduring excellence.
- noun The author of such a work.
- noun A major, long-standing sporting event.
- noun (horse racing) Any of the British Classic Races, five long-standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season.
- noun (dated) One learned in the literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; a student of classical literature.
Synonyms
classical authoritative definitive Greco-Roman Graeco-Roman Hellenic
Etymology
From French classique, from Latin classic(us) (“relating to the classes of Roman citizenry, especially the highest”), from classis. By surface analysis, class + -ic. Piecewise doublet of classy.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art. Give, as thy last memorial to the age, One classic drama, and reform the stage. Byron.
- adjective Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, esp. to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds.
- noun A work of acknowledged excellence and authrity, or its author; --originally used of Greek and Latin works or authors, but now applied to authors and works of a like character in any language.
- noun One learned in the literature of Greece and Rome, or a student of classical literature.
Etymology [L. classicus relating to the classes of the Roman people, and especially to the frist class; hence, of the first rank, superior, from classis class: cf. F. classique. See Class, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “classic”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details