classic

UK: /ˈklæsɪk/ US: /ˈklæsɪk/ ,(klas′ik)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

clas•sic /ˈklæsɪk/   adj. [usually: before a noun]

1. of the first or highest quality or rank:
   a classic work.
2. serving as a standard;
   definitive:
   a classic method of teaching.
3. classical (defs. 1, 2).
4. of or obeying an established set of standards or methods;
   traditional or typical of its kind:
   a classic example of fine writing.
5. of long-lasting interest, quality, or style:
   a classic movie.

n. [countable]

6. an author, artist, literary work, or artistic production of long-lasting quality:
   Students had to read the classics in college.
7. an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
8. the classics, [plural] the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome.
9. something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering:
   Your funny reply was a classic.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

clas•sic  (klas′ik), adj. 

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 pertaining to Greek and Roman antiquity, esp. 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.
11. Automotive of or pertaining to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948.

n. 

12. an author or a literary work of the first rank, esp. one of demonstrably enduring quality.
13. an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
14. classics, the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome (often prec. by the).
15. an artist or artistic production considered a standard.
16. a work that is honored as definitive in its field:
    His handbook on mushrooms is a classic.
17. something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering:
    His reply was a classic.
18. an article, as of clothing, unchanging in style:
    Her suit was a simple classic.
19. a typical or traditional event, esp. one that is considered to be highly prestigious or the most important of its kind:
    The World Series is the fall classic of baseball.
20. [Archaic.] a classicist.

Also, classical (for defs. 1–5, 8, 10).

• Latin classicus belonging to a class, belonging to the first or highest class, equivalent. to class(is) class + -icus -ic
• French classique)
• (1605–15

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

classic / ˈklæsɪk/ adjective

1. of the highest class, esp in art or literature
2. serving as a standard or model of its kind; definitive
3. adhering to an established set of rules or principles in the arts or sciences: a classic proof
4. characterized by simplicity, balance, regularity, and purity of form; classical
5. of lasting interest or significance
6. continuously in fashion because of its simple and basic style: a classic day dress

noun

1. an author, artist, or work of art of the highest excellence
2. a creation or work considered as definitive
3. 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

Etymology: 17th Century: from Latin classicus of the first rank, from classis division, rank, class