classic

English Online Dictionary. What means classic‎? What does classic mean?

English

Alternative forms

• classick (obsolete)

Etymology

From French classique, from Latin classicus (“relating to the classes of Roman citizenry, especially the highest”), from classis. By surface analysis, class +‎ -ic. Piecewise doublet of classy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈklæs.ɪk/
• Rhymes: -æsɪk

Adjective

classic (comparative more classic, superlative most classic)

1. Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
2. Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class/category; typical.
3. Exhibiting timeless quality and excellence.

4. Characteristic of or from the past; old; retro; vintage.

5. 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.
   • 1819, Felicia Hemans, The Widow of Crescentius

     Though throned midst Latium's classic plains.

6. Traditional; original.

Usage notes

See classical § Usage notes.

Synonyms

• classical (See classical § Usage notes regarding differentiation.)

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

classic (plural classics)

1. A perfect and/or early example of a particular style.
2. An artistic work of lasting worth, such as a film or song; a work of enduring excellence.
3. The author of such a work.
4. A major, long-standing sporting event.
   1. (horse racing) Any of the British Classic Races, five long-standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season.
5. (dated) One learned in the literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; a student of classical literature.

Translations

See also

• classical
• classics

Further reading

• “classic”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “classic”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• “classic”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• classical, classic at the Google Books Ngram Viewer.