classic

Meanings

Adjective

• Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
• Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class/category; typical.
• Exhibiting timeless quality and excellence.
• Characteristic of or from the past; old; retro; vintage.
• 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.
• Traditional; original.

Noun

• A perfect and/or early example of a particular style.
• An artistic work of lasting worth, such as a film or song; a work of enduring excellence.
• The author of such a work.
• A major, long-standing sporting event.
• One learned in the literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; a student of classical literature.

Related

Similar words

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

Origin

• From French classique, from Latin classicus, from classis; surface analysis, class + -ic = class + -ical