of the first or highest quality, class, or rank

a classic piece of work.

serving as a standard, model, or guide

the classic method of teaching arithmetic.

of or pertaining to Greek and Roman antiquity, esp. with reference to literature and art.

modeled upon or imitating the style or thought of ancient Greece and Rome

The 17th and 18th centuries were obsessed with classic ideals.

of or adhering to an established set of artistic or scientific standards or methods

a classic example of mid-Victorian architecture.

basic; fundamental

the classic rules of warfare.

of enduring interest, quality, or style

a classic design; classic clothes.

of literary or historical renown

the classic haunts of famous writers.

traditional or typical

a classic comedy routine.

definitive

the classic reference work on ornithology.

of or pertaining to automobiles distinguished by elegant styling, outstanding engineering, and fine workmanship that were built between about 1925 and 1948.

an author or a literary work of the first rank, esp. one of demonstrably enduring quality.

an author or literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.

classics, the literature and languages of ancient Greece and Rome (often prec. by the ).

an artist or artistic production considered a standard.

a work that is honored as definitive in its field

His handbook on mushrooms is a classic.

something noteworthy of its kind and worth remembering

His reply was a classic.

an article, as of clothing, unchanging in style

Her suit was a simple classic.

a typical or traditional event, esp. one that is considered to be highly prestigious or the most important of its kind

The World Series is the fall classic of baseball.

Archaic . a classicist.

adjective

abnormal , irregular , uncharacteristic

adjective

prototypal , prototypical , representative , simple , standard , time-honored , typical , usual , vintagenotes:for classic , assume the meaning \'of the highest class\' and \'typical , excellent as an example; timeless\' and for classical \'pertaining to or characteristic of greek or roman antiquity or civilization\' , archetypal , archetypic , archetypical , classical , model , paradigmatic , prototypic , quintessential , typic

noun

chef d’oeuvre , exemplar , magnum opus , paradigm , prototype , standard , tour de forcenotes:for classic , assume the meaning \'of the highest class\' and \'typical , excellent as an example; timeless\' and for classical \'pertaining to or characteristic of greek or roman antiquity or civilization\' , ancient , composition , flawless , ideal , masterpiece , model , old , perfect , prime , time-honored , top , venerable , vintage