classic

adjective: 1. of the first or highest quality, class, or rank: a classic piece of work. 2. serving as a standard, model, or guide: the classic method of teaching arithmetic. 3. of or relating to Greek and Roman antiquity, especially with reference to literature and art. 4. modeled upon or imitating the style or thought of ancient Greece and Rome: The 17th and 18th centuries were obsessed with classic ideals. 5. of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods: a classic example of mid-Victorian architecture. 6. basic; fundamental: the classic rules of warfare. 7. of enduring interest, quality, or style: a classic design; classic clothes. 8. of literary or historical renown: the classic haunts of famous writers. 9. traditional or typical: a classic comedy routine. 10. definitive: the classic reference work on ornithology. 12. of the highest class, esp in art or literature. 13. serving as a standard or model of its kind; definitive. 14. adhering to an established set of rules or principles in the arts or sciences: a classic proof. 15. characterized by simplicity, balance, regularity, and purity of form; classical. 16. of lasting interest or significance. 18. serving as a standard of excellence : of recognized value: classic literary works; a classic case study on hysteria. 19. traditional, enduring: classic designs. 21.  of or relating to the ancient Greeks and Romans or their culture : classical. 22. historically memorable: a classic battle. 23. noted because of special literary or historical associations: Paris is the classic refuge of expatriates. 24. authentic, authoritative: a classic study of eyewitness accounts. 25. typical: a classic example of chicanery (see below); a classic error. noun: 1. an author or a literary work of the first rank, especially one of demonstrably enduring quality. 2. an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome. 3. an artist or artistic production considered a standard. 4. a work that is honored as definitive in its field: His handbook on mushrooms is a classic. 5. something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering: His reply was a classic. 7. a typical or traditional event, especially one that is considered to be highly prestigious or the most important of its kind: The World Series is the fall classic of baseball. 8. (functioning as singular) ancient Greek and Roman culture considered as a subject for academic study. 9. an author, artist, or work of art of the highest excellence. 10. a creation or work considered as definitive. 11. a literary work of ancient Greece or Rome: studied the classics in college. 12. 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. 13. an authoritative source. 14. a typical or perfect example: His march through the wilderness of Maine has been regarded as a classic of perseverance. 15. a traditional event: a football classic. "(the) classics," 1.  the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome (often preceded by the). 2. a body of literature regarded as great or lasting, esp that of ancient Greece or Rome. 3. the ancient Greek and Latin languages. "classic," (capitalized) of or relating to the period of highest development of Mesoamerican and especially Mayan culture about a.d. 300–900. archaic: a classicist. classicist: 1. an adherent of classicism in literature or art (contrasted with romanticist). 2. an authority on the classics; a classical scholar. 3. a person who advocates study of the ancient Greek and Roman classics. 4. a student of ancient Latin and Greek. 5. a person who advocates the study of ancient Latin and Greek. 6. an adherent of classicism in literature or art. of music: a descriptive term for a period in Western music, encompassing roughly the last half of the eighteenth century, that includes the works of Franz Josef Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the early works of Ludwig van Beethoven, among other composers. of fashion or clothing: 1. continuously in fashion because of its simple and basic style: a classic day dress. 2. characterized by simple tailored lines in fashion year after year: a classic suit. 3. an article, as of clothing, unchanging in style: Her suit was a simple classic. in horse racing: 1. any of the five principal races for three-year-old horses in Britain, namely the One Thousand Guineas, Two Thousand Guineas, Derby, Oaks, and Saint Leger. 2. a race equivalent to any of these in other countries. of automobiles: of or relating to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948. chicanery: 1. deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery: He wasn't above using chicanery to win votes. 2. a piece of sharp practice (as at law) : trick: resorted to political chicaneries; financial chicaneries. Examples: She prefers classic furniture designs. It's a classic suit that won't go out of style. Related Words: prototype, paradigm, exemplar, standard. Synonyms: (Adjective) archetypal (also archetypical), definitive, exemplary, imitable, model, paradigmatic, quintessential, textbook. (Noun) beau ideal, eidolon, exemplar, idea, ideal, model, nonesuch, nonpareil, paragon, patron saint. May be confused: classic, classical. Origin: 1605–15; (< French classique) < Latin classicus belonging to a class, belonging to the first or highest class, equivalent to class(is) class + -icus -ic. C17: from Latin classicus of the first rank, from classis division, rank, class. First Known Use: Adjective: 1597. Noun: 1684. History and Etymology: Adjective: French or Latin; French classique, from Latin classicus of the highest class of Roman citizens, of the first rank, from classis — see class entry 1. Source 1, Source 2.