Classic

How to spell classic

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce classic

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does classic mean?

1. adjectiveJudged over time to be of the highest quality, or a perfect and typical example of its kind.
2. nounA work, object, or event widely regarded as outstanding and of lasting value.

Classic in a sentence

• adjective

  The tailor recommended a classic navy suit that would never look dated.

• noun

  The novel became an instant classic and stayed in print for decades.

• adjective

  Her presentation followed a classic structure: introduction, evidence, conclusion.

• noun

  That vintage sports car is considered a classic among collectors.

Where does classic come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin classicus, which described something belonging to the highest class of Roman citizens, the classis being one of the formal divisions into which the Roman people were ranked by wealth. Because the top class was regarded as the best, classicus came to carry the sense of 'first-rate' or 'of the highest standard'. English borrowed the word in the early 1600s, at first to praise the great writers of ancient Greece and Rome, whose works were held up as models of excellence. From there the meaning broadened to anything judged to be of lasting, top quality or to be a perfect example of its kind. The same classis root also gives us the everyday word 'class', and the single 's' before the '-ic' is the spelling point worth remembering, since the double 's' belongs to that shared family.

How the word is built

• class (from Latin classis: a division or rank)
• -ic (adjective/noun suffix)