A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an

adjective In linguistics, an adjective ( abbreviated ) is a word that generally modifies a noun or noun phrase or describes its referent. Its semantic role is to change information given by the noun. Traditionally, adjectives were considered one of the ...

(a ''classic'' car) or a noun (a ''classic'' of English literature). It denotes a particular quality in art, architecture, literature, design, technology, or other cultural artifacts. In commerce, products are named 'classic' to denote a long-standing popular version or model, to distinguish it from a newer variety. ''Classic'' is used to describe many major, long-standing sporting events. Colloquially, an everyday occurrence (e.g. a joke or mishap) may be described in some dialects of English as 'an absolute classic'. "Classic" should not be confused with ''classical'', which refers specifically to certain cultural styles, especially in

music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...

and

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

: styles generally taking inspiration from the

Classical tradition The Western classical tradition is the reception of classical Greco-Roman antiquity by later cultures, especially the post-classical West, involving texts, imagery, objects, ideas, institutions, monuments, architecture, cultural artifacts, ri ...

, hence classicism.

The Classics

The classics are the literature of

ancient Greece Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

and

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, known as

classical antiquity Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations ...

, and once the principal subject studied in the

humanities Humanities are academic disciplines that study aspects of human society and culture. In the Renaissance, the term contrasted with divinity and referred to what is now called classics, the main area of secular study in universities at th ...

. Classics (without the definite article) can refer to the study of philosophy, literature, history and the arts of the ancient world, as in "reading classics at Cambridge". From that usage came the more general concept of 'classic'.Definition o
classic
at ''dictionary.com''. The Chinese classics occupy a similar position in

Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the world's oldest cultures, originating thousands of years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia and is extremely diverse and varying, with customs and traditions varying grea ...

, and various other cultures have their own classics.

Cultural classics

Books, films and music particularly may become ''a classic'' but a painting would more likely be called a

masterpiece A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

. A classic is often something old that is still popular. The first known use of "classic" in this sense – a work so excellent that it is on the level of the "classics" (Greek and Latin authors) – is by the 18th-century scholar Rev. John Bowle. He applied the term to ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of Wester ...

'', of which Bowle prepared an innovative edition, such as he judged that a classic work needed. Some other examples would be the book '' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' by

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

, the 1941 film '' Citizen Kane'', and the song " Blue Suede Shoes" by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

. Lists of classics are long and wide-ranging, and would vary depending on personal opinion.

Classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

is a popular radio format, playing a repertoire of old but familiar recordings. A contemporary work may be hailed as an ''instant classic'', but the criteria for classic status tends to include the test of time. The term "classic" is in fact often generalized to refer to any work of a certain age, regardless of whether it is any good. A cult classic may be well known but is only favored by a minority.

Science and technology

A well known and reliable procedure, such as a demonstration of well-established scientific principle, may be described as classic: e.g. the Cartesian diver experiment.

Consumer artifacts

Manufacturers frequently describe their products as classic, to distinguish the original from a new variety, or to imply qualities in the product – although the Ford Consul Classic, a car manufactured 1961–1963, has the "classic" tag for no apparent reason. The iPod classic was simply called the iPod until the sixth generation, when ''classic'' was added to the name because other designs were also available – an example of a retronym. ''Coca-Cola Classic'' is the name used for the relaunch of Coca-Cola after the failure of the

New Coke New Coke was the unofficial name of a reformulation of the soft drink Coca-Cola, introduced by The Coca-Cola Company in April 1985. It was renamed Coke II in 1990 and discontinued in July 2002. By 1985, Coca-Cola had been losing market share to ...

recipe change. Similarly, the Classic, a transit bus manufactured from 1982–1997, succeeded an unpopular futuristic design. A classic can be something old that remains prized or valuable (but not an antique).

Classic car A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.While other languages, such as German and Dutch, may refer to classic cars as "oldtimers", this usage is unknown in English, where "old-timer" refers to an elder ...

s, for example, are recognised by various collectors' organisations such as the Classic Car Club of America, who regulate the qualifying attributes that constitute classic status.

Sport

Many sporting events take the name ''classic'': *Horse races, e.g. British Classic Races *Snooker tournaments e.g. the Wuxi Classic *College Basketball e.g. the

Charleston Classic The Charleston Classic is a three-day invitational college basketball season-opening tournament held in Charleston, South Carolina. An ESPN-owned and operated event, it is contested at TD Arena, home of the College of Charleston Cougars. Each t ...

*Major League Baseball All-Star Game e.g. the Midsummer Classic * World Baseball Classic *National Hockey League, the Winter Classic. *Cycling, the Classic cycle races In Spanish-speaking countries, the term refers to a match between two football teams known as traditional rivals, e.g. El Clásico in Spain.

References