classical

adjective

ˈkla-si-kəl How to pronounce classical (audio)
Definition of classicalnext
1
as in traditional
based on customs usually handed down from a previous generation the classical preparation of a ham for Easter

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in authoritative
being the most accurate and apparently thorough a writer celebrated for his classical profiles of eminent Victorians

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of classical The genre gave him considerably more freedom to invent architectural settings, mixing classical ruins, waterways, and figures into elaborate imaginary landscapes. — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 The program was founded in 1975 by José Antonio Abreu, a musician and economist who believed that classical music — long reserved for a select few — could transform the lives of Venezuela’s poorest children. — Max Feliu, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026 The exhibits embody Karnatakan spirit, with Naurasa—the nine aesthetic forms that comprise the foundation of classical Indian art derived from the Sanskrit text the Natya Shastra—guiding the airport’s approach to art. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026 His poems are classical, but severely and lovingly contemporary too. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for classical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for classical
  1. traditional
  2. authoritative
  3. customary
  4. classic
  5. conventional
Adjective
  • The conversation also addressed AI, with Velazquez comparing current anxieties to earlier fears that computer animation and motion capture would eliminate traditional animation jobs.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Fans care about rivalries among teams made up of students who generally progress through college and exhaust their eligibility alongside their classmates, rather than athletes whose college careers extend well beyond the traditional timeline.
    — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of traditional
Adjective
  • Someone has to decide which source is authoritative when two conflict.
    — Han Wang, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Vaughan’s voice was warm, authoritative, and unmistakably English.
    — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of authoritative
Adjective
  • Wallace plays Mia, a spoiled heiress who is sent by her grandfather to Palermo, Sicily, without money or her customary luxuries, to work as a real estate agent in the family business.
    — Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The profession initially had been a blue-collar job, and in its origins in the Northeast, going to the pub and drinking after a long day of work was customary.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of customary
Adjective
  • Ahead of rocking the Pond with its classic hits, the famed norteño band brought its signature sound and activism to NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • No list of books about Renaissance Venice (and its relations with Jews) would be complete without Brian Pullan’s classic study.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of classic
Adjective
  • On the contrary, airpower remains the most potent piece of the United States’ conventional forces, as well as its main source of both deterrent capacity and warfighting advantage against conventional aggression by hostile states.
    — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Alongside these are conventional effects plugins covering reverb, delay, chorus, compression, EQ, distortion/saturation, and pitch shifting.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of conventional

Browse Nearby Words

classic
classical
classicism
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Cite this Entry

“Classical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/classical. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

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