# classical

Pronunciation: say "KLAS-i-kuhl" /ˈklæs.ɪ.kəl/

## Adjective

1. Belonging to ancient Greece and Rome, especially to their greatest writers, the era of their finest literature, or the places they made famous.
   - Simple: Coming from or relating to the ancient Greeks and Romans, or their best writers.
   - _His classical education centered on the orators and poets of ancient Athens._
   - _They toured the classical ruins scattered across the Greek mainland._
2. Belonging to the Western music and composers of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.
   - Simple: Belonging to a style of Western music written in the late 1700s and early 1800s.
   - _Mozart's quartets are landmarks of the classical era._
   - _The orchestra devoted its season to classical works by Haydn and his contemporaries._
3. Belonging to art music, as distinct from pop, jazz, or blues, especially when performed on orchestral instruments. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Belonging to serious music played by an orchestra, not pop, jazz, or blues.
   - _He prefers classical recordings over anything in the pop charts._
   - _The cellist trained in classical performance before joining a jazz ensemble._
4. Based on the long-established, foundational principles of a field or discipline.
   - Simple: Following the basic, well-established ideas of a subject.
   - _Classical economics rests on assumptions about rational, self-interested actors._
   - _Her training followed the classical model of apprenticeship under a master._
5. Of the first rank or highest class, especially in literature or art.
   - Simple: Belonging to the very best or highest rank, especially in writing or art.
   - _These plays are counted among the classical achievements of the stage._
   - _The collection includes classical masterpieces that defined their genre._
6. Conforming to the highest standards in literature and art; refined, pure, and restrained in taste.
   - Simple: Pure, refined, and following the highest standards in art or writing.
   - _The prose has a classical purity, free of ornament and excess._
   - _His restrained, classical taste favored balance over flamboyance._
7. Relating to physical models that leave out quantum and relativistic effects, such as Newtonian or Maxwellian physics.
   - Simple: Belonging to older physics that does not use quantum or relativity ideas.
   - _Classical mechanics accurately predicts the motion of planets and projectiles._
   - _At atomic scales, classical models break down and quantum theory takes over._
9. Well-versed and skilled in the classics: the literature and learning of ancient Greece and Rome.
   - Simple: Knowing a lot about ancient Greek and Roman writing and culture.
   - _A deeply classical scholar, she could quote Homer from memory._
   - _His classical learning showed in every reference to ancient authors._

## Noun

8. Ellipsis of classical music. — Ellipsis of classical music.
   - Simple: Short form of classical music. Use it when the meaning is already clear from context.
   - _He switched the radio to classical during dinner._
   - _Most of her record collection is classical._
10. A person or thing characterized as classical: for instance, an economist who follows established, traditional principles.
   - Simple: A person or thing that follows older, established ideas in a field.
   - _Among the panelists, the classical defended free markets against every objection._
   - _She was a classical at heart, trusting the established doctrines of her field._
11. Ellipsis of classical chess. — Ellipsis of classical chess.
   - Simple: Short form of classical chess. It means chess played with longer time limits.
   - _The world championship is decided in classical, not rapid games._
   - _Many grandmasters specialize in classical._

## Origin

Formed from "classic" plus the suffix "-al"; see "classic" for the fuller history.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/classical (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).