classical

noun

(countable) One that is classical in some way; for example, a classical economist.

Ellipsis of classical music. [(music) Music of the classical period; the music of Mozart, Haydn, etc; the musical period before the romantic.]

(chess) Ellipsis of classical chess. [(chess) Chess played at a slow time control, with games taking up to several hours (the most common format at professional tournaments).]

adjective

(music) Describing Western music and musicians of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.

Of or pertaining to established principles in a discipline.

(informal, music) Describing art music (rather than pop, jazz, blues, etc), especially when played using instruments of the orchestra.

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.

Conforming to the best authority in literature and art; chaste; pure; refined

Knowledgeable or skilled in the classics; versed in the classics.

(physics) Pertaining to models of physical laws that do not take quantum or relativistic effects into account; Newtonian or Maxwellian.

Roots

classisclass- · Latin · class, division

Synonyms for classical

classicadj traditionaladj

Synonyms & related words for classical

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Words related to classical

Explore words related to classical — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include unclassical, classicality, classicizing, classicalism, postclassical, neoclassic, neoclassical, classicist. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for classical

Common synonyms for classical include classic, traditional — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does classical come from?

The word classical breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root class-, from Latin classis (“class, division”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.