Adjective
She prefers classic furniture designs.
It's a classic suit that won't go out of style.
I like the car's classic contours.
The battle was a classic example of poor planning. Noun
That car is a classic.
I like to read the classics.
He teaches classics at the local university.
She studied classics in college.
an interest in the classics
The football game is a Thanksgiving classic. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
These super-chic earrings are trendy and classic at the same time.—Laura Denby, Peoplemag, 18 Jan. 2023 The 10- to 12-kilometer course starts and ends in Ashland and is groomed for classic and skate skiing.—Chelsey Lewis, Journal Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2023 Our splurge-worthy pick for the best bed frame combines classic and contemporary design.—Erica Reagle, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Jan. 2023 But a new shape has established itself as the perfect mix of angular and oval, trendy and classic.—Melanie Paukner, Glamour, 6 Jan. 2023 Taking in classic or experimental jazz can encourage conversation and a form of music therapy.—Stephanie Toone, ajc, 6 Jan. 2023 But after getting an education in alternative and classic rock while working at Tower Records, Cuomo unlearned most of his heavy metal guitar technique to write Weezer’s early albums.—Al Shipley, SPIN, 6 Jan. 2023 The event that launched in 2019 will take place from May 5-7 on the city’s waterfront and feature sets from a wide variety of rock, pop, reggae, hip-hop and classic rock acts.—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 6 Jan. 2023 Great comic actors having a ball inside a twisty murder mystery that feels both classic and contemporary.—Robert Lloyd, Anchorage Daily News, 1 Jan. 2023
Noun
The Netflix drama — the first-ever German adaptation of the Erich Maria Remarque’s German anti-war classic — picked up nine Oscar nominations Tuesday, nearly tying the record for most-ever nominations for a non-English-language film.—Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Jan. 2023 This spicy, buttery, citrusy dish is an old-school classic.—Christopher Michel, Country Living, 23 Jan. 2023 So too do the book’s recipes blend the classic with the unconventional.—Lara Johnson-wheeler, Vogue, 22 Jan. 2023 The Cowboys offensive lineman recalls his first Oklahoma drill, a classic if somewhat antiquated exercise in which two players converge until cracking in contact, at a Fort Worth youth football practice.—Dallas News, 21 Jan. 2023 This slouchy logo sweatshirt is an understated classic.—Aemilia Madden, Harper's BAZAAR, 16 Jan. 2023 There are franchises like Halloween, where the original is such a bonafide classic that no sequel could hope to top it.—Brendan Morrow, The Week, 13 Jan. 2023 The film, which releases in theaters on Friday, is a reimagining of the cult classic 1990 film of the same name, which starred rap duo Kid ‘n Play as high schoolers throwing a party while their parents are gone.—Time, 13 Jan. 2023 From cult classic Donnie Darko to recent gems like Ambulance, Jake Gyllenhaal always delivers intense, emotional work.—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 12 Jan. 2023 See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'classic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
French or Latin; French classique, from Latin classicus of the highest class of Roman citizens, of the first rank, from classis — see classentry 1
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