Word Study
classical
CIDE DICTIONARY
classical, a. [L. classicus relating to the classes of the Roman people, and especially to the frist class; hence, of the first rank, superior, from classis class: cf. F. classique. See Class, n. ].
- Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art. [1913 Webster]"Give, as thy last memorial to the age,
One classic drama, and reform the stage." [1913 Webster]"Mr. Greaves may justly be reckoned a classical author on this subject [Roman weights and coins]." [1913 Webster] - Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, esp. 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. [1913 Webster]"Though throned midst Latium's classic plains." [1913 Webster]"The epithet classical, as applied to ancient authors, is determined less by the purity of their style than by the period at which they wrote." [1913 Webster]"He [Atterbury] directed the classical studies of the undergraduates of his college." [1913 Webster]
- Conforming to the best authority in literature and art; chaste; pure; refined; as, a classical style. [1913 Webster]"Classical, provincial, and national synods." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
classical, adj.
1 a of ancient Greek or Latin literature or art. b (of language) having the form used by the ancient standard authors (classical Latin; classical Hebrew). c based on the study of ancient Greek and Latin (a classical education). d learned in classical studies.
2 a (of music) serious or conventional; following traditional principles and intended to be of permanent rather than ephemeral value (cf. POPULAR, LIGHT). b of the period from c.1750-1800 (cf. ROMANTIC).
3 a in or following the restrained style of classical antiquity (cf. ROMANTIC). b in or relating to a long-established style.
4 Physics relating to the concepts which preceded relativity and quantum theory.
1 a of ancient Greek or Latin literature or art. b (of language) having the form used by the ancient standard authors (classical Latin; classical Hebrew). c based on the study of ancient Greek and Latin (a classical education). d learned in classical studies.
2 a (of music) serious or conventional; following traditional principles and intended to be of permanent rather than ephemeral value (cf. POPULAR, LIGHT). b of the period from c.1750-1800 (cf. ROMANTIC).
3 a in or following the restrained style of classical antiquity (cf. ROMANTIC). b in or relating to a long-established style.
4 Physics relating to the concepts which preceded relativity and quantum theory.
Derivative
classicalism n. classicalist n. classicality n. classically adv.
Etymology
L classicus (as CLASSIC)
THESAURUS
classical
Attic, Ciceronian, Gothic, Greek, Latin, Roman, Victorian, absolute, aesthetic, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, archetypical, arrant, artistic, authoritative, belletristic, capital, champion, chaste, choice, classic, clear, common, commonplace, complete, consummate, crass, decided, definitive, developed, direct, downright, easy, egregious, elegant, established, everyday, excellent, exemplary, expert, famous, fine, finished, flagrant, fossil, fossilized, fully developed, garden, garden-variety, glaring, graceful, gracile, gross, grown old, homely, homespun, household, ideal, in good taste, influential, intolerable, limpid, literary, lucid, masterful, masterly, matter-of-fact, mature, matured, medieval, mid-Victorian, model, natural, neat, nondescript, of choice, of other times, of quality, old-world, ordinary, out-and-out, outright, paradigmatic, pellucid, perfect, perfected, perspicuous, petrified, plain, pleasing, polished, positive, precedential, precious, prime, proficient, profound, pronounced, proper, prosaic, prosy, prototypal, pure, pure and simple, quiet, quintessential, rank, refined, regular, representative, restrained, ripe, ripened, round, serious, shattering, shocking, simple, standard, stark, stark-staring, straightforward, subdued, superannuated, superior, superlative, surpassing, tasteful, terse, the veriest, thorough, thoroughgoing, top, top-notch, total, traditional, trim, typical, unaffected, unbearable, unconscionable, undeniable, understated, unequivocal, unlabored, unmitigated, unobtrusive, unqualified, unrelieved, unspoiled, utter, weighty, well-chosen, workaday, workdayROGET THESAURUS
classical
Elegance
N elegance, purity, grace, ease, gracefulness, readiness, concinnity, euphony, numerosity, Atticism, classicalism, classicism, well rounded periods, well turned periods, flowing periods, the right word in the right place, antithesis, purist, elegant, polished, classical, Attic, correct, Ciceronian, artistic, chaste, pure, Saxon, academical, graceful, easy, readable, fluent, flowing, tripping, unaffected, natural, unlabored, mellifluous, euphonious, euphemism, euphemistic, numerose, rhythmical, felicitous, happy, neat, well put, neatly put, well expressed, neatly expressed.Taste
N taste, good taste, refined taste, cultivated taste, delicacy, refinement, fine feeling, gust, gusto, tact, finesse, nicety, to prepon, polish, elegance, grace, judgment, discernment, dilettantism, dilettanteism, virtu, fine art, culture, cultivation, aesthetics, man of taste, connoisseur, judge, critic, conoscente, virtuoso, amateur, dilettante, Aristarchus, Corinthian, arbiter elegantiarum, stagirite, euphemist, caviare to the general, in good taste, cute, tasteful, tasty, unaffected, pure, chaste, classical, attic, cultivated, refined, dainty, esthetic, aesthetic, artistic, elegant, euphemistic, to one's taste, to one's mind, after one's fancy, comme il faut, tire a quatre epingles, elegantly, nihil tetigit quod non ornavit, chacun a son gout, oculi pictura tenentur aures cantibus, taste, flavor, gust, gusto, savor, gout, relish, sapor, sapidity, twang, smack, smatch, aftertaste, tang, tasting, degustation, gustation, palate, tongue, tooth, stomach, sapid, saporific, gustable, gustatory, gustful, strong, gamy, palatable.For further exploring for "classical" in Webster Dictionary Online
