classic
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Exemplary of a particular style.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
klasikSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈklæsɪk
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class/category; typical.
Exhibiting timeless quality and excellence.
Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
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.
Characteristic of or from the past; old; retro; vintage.
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.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
Used this way, classic is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It turns up most in literature or storytelling contexts.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Where it naturally appears
- Literature/storytelling
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use classic
- “This old movie is a true classic everyone loves watching.”adjective
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: perfect and/or early example of a particular style
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.