You use classical to describe something that is traditional in form, style, or content.
Fokine did not change the steps of classical ballet; instead he found new ways ofusing them.
...the scientific attitude of Smith and earlier classical economists.
2. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Classical music is music that is considered to be serious and of lasting value.
3. adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
Classical is used to describe things which relate to the ancient Greek or Roman civilizations.
...the healers of ancient Egypt and classical Greece.
It's a technological achievement that is unrivalled in the classical world.
...classical architecture.
Synonyms: Greek, Roman, Latin, Attic More Synonyms of classical
4. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A classical language is a form of a language that was used in ancient times and is now no longer used, or only used in formal writing.
...a line of classical Arabic poetry.
More Synonyms of classical
classical in British English
(ˈklæsɪkəl)
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient Greeks and Romans or their civilization, esp in the period of their ascendancy
2.
designating, following, or influenced by the art or culture of ancient Greece or Rome
classical architecture
3. music
a.
of, relating to, or denoting any music or its period of composition marked by stability of form, intellectualism, and restraint
Compare romantic (sense 5)
b.
accepted as a standard
the classical suite
c.
denoting serious art music in general
Compare pop1 (sense 2)
4. music
of or relating to a style of music composed, esp at Vienna, during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This period is marked by the establishment, esp by Haydn and Mozart, of sonata form
5.
denoting or relating to a style in any of the arts characterized by emotional restraint and conservatism
a classical style of painting
classicism (sense 1)
6.
well versed in the art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome
7.
(of an education) based on the humanities and the study of Latin and Greek
8. physics
a.
not involving the quantum theory or the theory of relativity
classical mechanics
b.
obeying the laws of Newtonian mechanics or 19th-century physics
a classical gas
9. another word for classic (sense 2), classic (sense 4)
10.
(of a logical or mathematical system) according with the law of excluded middle, so that every statement is known to be either true or false even if it is not known which
Derived forms
classicality (ˌclassiˈcality) or classicalness (ˈclassicalness)
noun
classically (ˈclassically)
adverb
classical in American English
(ˈklæsɪkəl)
adjective
1.
classic (sense 1) classic (sense 3)
2.
of the art, literature, and culture of the ancient Greeks and Romans, or their writers, artists, etc.
3.
characteristic of or derived from the literary and artistic standards, principles, and methods of the ancient Greeks and Romans
4.
well versed in or devoted to Greek and Roman culture, literature, etc.
a classical scholar
5.
designating or of a specified area or course of study that is or has been standard and traditionally authoritative, not new, recent, and experimental
classical political science
6.
a. [occas.C-]
of, characteristic of, or like a style of music marked by an emphasis on formal composition, as in instrumental works in the sonata form, by precise standards of performance appropriate to a symphony orchestra, and by a sense of balance, order, clarity, etc.
b. [occas.C-]
designating or of the period (c. 1750-c. 1830) characterized by this style
c.
designating or of art music of the European tradition, including such forms as the symphony, the opera, chamber music, the sonata, etc.
distinguished from folk or popular music or jazz
Derived forms
classicality (ˌclassiˈcality) (ˈklæsɪˈkæləti)
noun or ˈclassicalness
classically (ˈclassically)
adverb
Examples of 'classical' in a sentence
classical
Yet classical ballet is not colour blind.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Quantum theory has turned classical notions of the atom on their head.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The only important thing to him was to study classical ballet.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Learning a concept is learning its defining features according to classical theory.
Pressley, Michael & McCormick, Christine Advanced Educational Psychology For Educators, Researchers and Policymakers, (1995)
One thing she has been quite definite about is that she will give up classical ballet.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Classical economic theory predicts that loss and gain are symmetrical and equally balanced.
Paul Martin MAKING HAPPY PEOPLE (2005)
Highly recommended for lovers of classical ballet.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Some of the blocs owe much more than others do to classical race theory of the nineteenth century.
Hollinger, David A. Postethnic America: Beyond Multiculturalism (1995)
Is classical music in good health?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In classical style, the composer and conductor have predetermined the outcome.
Christianity Today (2000)
While championing classical and contextual architecture, he determinedly broadened the magazine to include contemporary new work.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
People still wanted classical architecture, but with plumbing that worked.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Finally, your thoughts about the future of classical music?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But our polls show that 80% of people prefer classical architecture.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
She was into all forms of dance, but classical ballet was her favourite.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
After this, he plans to retire from classical ballet.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Yes, classical music is costly.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
I grew up with classical music.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
But I do find the aesthetic value system of classical ballet quite limiting.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I've been more involved in classical music.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
To reach its current position, it had to wrest ideological domination from the older, classical general theory.
Henry, John F The Making of Neoclassical Economics (1990)
He said himself that his was probably the last generation to be subjected to what was still an essentially unchanged 19th-century Classical education.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
A model of the modern Russian ballerina, she can handle contemporary and classical styles with equal aplomb.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Quotations
The great tragedy of the classical languages is to have been born twinsGeoffrey Madan
Every man with a bellyful of the classics is an enemy to the human raceHenry MillerTropic of Cancer
That's the classical mind at work, runs fine inside but looks dingy on the surfaceRobert M. PirsigZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Word lists with
classical
architectural styles, Classical music genres
In other languages
classical
British English: classical /ˈklæsɪkl/ ADJECTIVE
You use classical to describe something that is traditional in form, style, or content.
...classical, rock, and jazz music.
American English: classical
Arabic: تَقْلِيديّ
Brazilian Portuguese: clássico
Chinese: 古典的
Croatian: klasičan
Czech: klasický
Danish: klassisk
Dutch: klassiek klassiek
European Spanish: clásico
Finnish: klassinen
French: classique
German: klassisch
Greek: κλασικός
Italian: classico
Japanese: 伝統的な
Korean: 고전적인
Norwegian: klassisk
Polish: klasyczny
European Portuguese: clássico
Romanian: clasic
Russian: классический
Latin American Spanish: clásico
Swedish: klassisk
Thai: ตามแบบแผนดั้งเดิม
Turkish: klasik
Ukrainian: класичний
Vietnamese: cổ điển
All related terms of 'classical'
classical music
a style of music composed , esp at Vienna , during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This period is marked by the establishment , esp by Haydn and Mozart , of sonata form
classical college
(in Quebec ) a college offering a programme that emphasizes the classics and leads to university entrance
Classical school
an economic theory based on the works of Adam Smith and David Ricardo , which explains the creation of wealth and advocates free trade
classical conditioning
the alteration in responding that occurs when two stimuli are regularly paired in close succession : the response originally given to the second stimulus comes to be given to the first
classical economics
a system or school of economic thought developed by Adam Smith , Jeremy Bentham , Thomas Malthus , and David Ricardo , advocating minimum governmental intervention , free enterprise , and free trade, considering labor the source of wealth and dealing with problems concerning overpopulation
classical mechanics
the study of mechanics using Newton's laws rather than quantum theory and relativity
classical probability
the probability of an event consisting of n out of m possible equally likely occurrences , defined to be n / m
classical repertoire
A performer's repertoire is all the plays or pieces of music that he or she has learned and can perform.
neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture or art is from the late 18th century and uses designs from Roman and Greek architecture and art.
epic
An epic is a long book, poem, or film, whose story extends over a long period of time or tells of great events.
They performed dance dramas in the classical style.
Synonyms
traditional
Traditional teaching methods can put students off learning.
established
Their religious adherence is not to the established church.
conventional
The conventional wisdom on these matters is being challenged.
long-established
time-honoured
The beer is brewed in the time-honoured way here.
2 (adjective)
Definition
of or influenced by ancient Greek and Roman culture
the healers of ancient Egypt and the classical world
Synonyms
Greek
his extensive knowledge of Greek antiquity
Roman
Latin
Attic
Grecian
Hellenic
Augustan
3 (adjective)
Definition
of or in a restrained conservative style
Synonyms
pure
pure and chaste thoughts
elegant
Patricia looked as beautiful and elegant as always.
refined
refined sugar
restrained
Her black suit was restrained and expensive.
understated
harmonious
symmetrical
the neat rows of perfectly symmetrical windows
chaste
Beyond them she could see the dim, chaste interior of the room.
well-proportioned
see mythology
Quotations
The great tragedy of the classical languages is to have been born twins [Geoffrey Madan]Every man with a bellyful of the classics is an enemy to the human race [Henry Miller – Tropic of Cancer]That's the classical mind at work, runs fine inside but looks dingy on the surface [Robert M. Pirsig – Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of Attic
Synonyms
classical,
simple,
correct,
polished,
pure,
elegant,
refined,
graceful,
tasteful,
chaste
in the sense of chaste
Definition
simple in style
Beyond them she could see the dim, chaste interior of the room.
Synonyms
simple,
quiet,
elegant,
modest,
refined,
restrained,
austere,
unaffected,
decorous
in the sense of conventional
Definition
established by accepted usage or general agreement
The conventional wisdom on these matters is being challenged.