classic

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adjective clas·sic \ ˈkla-sik \

Definition of classic

1 a :serving as a standard of excellence :of recognized value

classic literary works

a classic case study on hysteria

b :traditional, enduring

classic designs

c :characterized by simple tailored lines in fashion year after year

a classic suit

2 :of or relating to the ancient Greeks and Romans or their culture :classical

3 a :historically memorable

a classic battle

b :noted because of special literary or historical associations

Paris is the classic refuge of expatriates

4 a :authentic, authoritative

a classic study of eyewitness accounts

b :typical

a classic example of chicanery

a classic error

5 capitalized :of or relating to the period of highest development of Mesoamerican and especially Mayan culture about a.d. 300–900

See classic defined for English-language learners

See classic defined for kids

Examples of classic in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of classic from the Web

Derby Dinner Playhouse presents this classic musical about a traveling salesman who comes to a small town with a plan to sell the town folk on the idea of organizing a boy band.

— gege reed, The Courier-Journal, "16 theater & comedy acts July 20-26," 19 July 2017
The Fringe Benefits The five-piece cover band plays Motown, classic rock, current hits and more.

— Washington Post, "Montgomery County community calendar 20-27, 2017," 19 July 2017
Later this year, the classic speculative-fiction television series will make its theatrical debut at London's Almeida Theatre.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "‘Twilight Zone’ Enters the Stage Dimension," 19 July 2017
Aladdin is only one of a number of live-action updates of classic animated Disney films.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Disney Announces Main Aladdin Cast Including Will Smith," 15 July 2017
Bright Star Touring Theatre stages the Lewis Carroll classic, about a girl who falls into a rabbit hole. 10 a.m. La Plata Town Hall, 305 Queen Anne St., La Plata.

— jillian s. jarrett, Washington Post, "Going Out Guide for Maryland, July 6-12, 2017," 5 July 2017
When Luc Besson’s now classic The Fifth Element arrived in theaters two decades ago, American viewers were stumped.

— chris lee, MSNBC Newsweek, "Not a Marvel Movie: 'Valerian' Director on His Epic and Expensive Sci-Fi Adapted From a Graphic Novel," 5 July 2017
Now, scientists are pushing that classic experiment to its ultimate limits.

— ryan cross, Science | AAAS, "Top stories: Mysterious human skull carvings, algorithms for origami, and NASA’s newest astronauts," 30 June 2017
The sneaks in question are your classic white, high-top Air Force 1s, but these are bedazzled with shimmering sequins in pale pink and turquoise shades.

— sophie hirsh, Teen Vogue, "Nike Releases Sequined Unicorn Air Force 1s," 29 June 2017

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.

Origin and Etymology of classic

French or Latin; French classique, from Latin classicus of the highest class of Roman citizens, of the first rank, from classis — see ¹class

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1597

See Words from the same year

classic Synonyms

Synonyms

archetypal (also archetypical), model, definitive, exemplary, imitable, paradigmatic, quintessential, textbook

Antonyms

atrocious, awful, execrable, lousy, pathetic, poor, rotten, terrible, vile, wretched

Related Words

ideal, nonpareil, special, unique; absolute, flawless, impeccable, perfect; A-OK, A1, bang-up, banner, capital, choice, crackerjack, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fantastic, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, groovy, jim-dandy, keen, marvelous (or marvellous), nifty, par excellence, prime, primo [slang], sensational, splendid, stellar, sterling, superb, superior, superlative, swell, terrific, tip-top, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, wizard [chiefly British], wonderful; exceptional, fancy, high-grade

Near Antonyms

bad, low-grade, poor, substandard, unsatisfactory; atrocious, execrable, vile, wretched; deficient, disappointing, failed, inadequate, inferior; average, normal, ordinary, representative, typical; mediocre, second-class, second-rate

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

classic

noun

Definition of classic

1 :a literary work of ancient Greece or Rome

studied the classics in college

2 a :a work of enduring excellence

His manual of biology has become a classic among scientists.

; also :its author

He had already become a classic many years before his death.

b :an authoritative source

3 :a typical or perfect example

His march through the wilderness of Maine has been regarded as a classic of perseverance.

4 :a traditional event

a football classic

See classic defined for English-language learners

Examples of classic in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of classic from the Web

That's a big jump in genre films even though classics like Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial all earned nods for Best Picture.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Can Wonder Woman Be the First Comic Book Movie Nominated For the Best Picture Oscar?," 28 July 2017
But that reputation has not stopped Keith Patterson, who dreamt up the series—and is reportedly suing RKO Pictures, which owns the rights to the classic, as well as C.E.O. Theodore Hartley and vice chair Mary Beth O’Connor.

— yohana desta, vanityfair.com, "Why a Citizen Kane Reboot Is at the Heart of a Serious Lawsuit," 27 July 2017
The surprises here are the experimental, motorised sculptures that preceded these classic, familiar works.

— The Economist, "Alexander Calder made time a sculptural medium," 22 July 2017
An instant classic, the film resuscitated a tired genre and added the Ghostface killer to the lexicon of most iconic horror villains.

— julie kosin, Harper's BAZAAR, "The 28 Best Halloween Films on Netflix," 21 July 2017
There are also classes in the state-of-the-art kitchen that focus on traditional bistro dishes, regional cuisine, and heritage classics from the hotel's long history.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "The Ritz Paris Has a Secret Cooking School," 20 July 2017
Everything good about summer is crammed into this 1993 classic: baseball, s’mores, Wendy Peffercorn.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 5 Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend," 14 July 2017
Douglas Brenner: Roughing it in style: Isn't that the soul of an Adirondacks camp? Anthony Baratta: This family compound is a classic, with all the charm and beauty of cabins on a lake in the woods.

— douglas brenner, House Beautiful, "This Quirky Adirondacks Lake House Is the Opposite of "Roughing It"," 13 July 2017
Here’s the classic from the number-two Republican in the Senate, John Cornyn: Not lose, choose.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Some Republicans Dislike Health Insurance So Much They Don’t Mind If You Lose It," 8 July 2017

First Known Use of classic

1684

classic Synonyms

Other Literature Terms

apophasis, bathos, bildungsroman, bowdlerize, caesura, coda, doggerel, euphemism, poesy, prosody

CLASSIC Defined for English Language Learners

classic

play

adjective

Definition of classic for English Language Learners

—used to say that something has come to be considered one of the best of its kind
—used to say that something is an example of excellence
—used to describe something that has been popular for a long time

classic

noun

Definition of classic for English Language Learners

: something that has been considered to be excellent for a long time
classics : the study of the literature, language, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome
: a traditional event

CLASSIC Defined for Kids

classic

play

adjective clas·sic \ ˈkla-sik \

Definition of classic for Students

1 :serving as a model of the best of its kind

It's a classic story for children.

2 :fashionable year after year

a classic style

3 :of or relating to the ancient Greeks and Romans or their culture

classic sculptures

4 :being typical of its kind

a classic mistake

classic

noun

Definition of classic for Students

1 :a written work or author of ancient Greece or Rome

2 :a great work of art

a classic of literature

3 :something long regarded as outstanding of its kind

a classic car

Medical Dictionary

classic

play

adjective clas·sic \ ˈklas-ik \

variants: or classical play \-i-kəl\

medical Definition of classic

:standard or recognized especially because of great frequency or consistency of occurrence

the classic triad of urethritis, conjunctivitis, and arthritis signaling Reiter's syndrome
—Emergency Medicine

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