classical

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈklɛs.ɪ.kəl/ UK /ˈklæs.ɪ.k(ə)l/ See IPA manual

Freq #6243

Meanings

1

adj
Relating to traditional, serious music written by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven.

She enjoys listening to classical music while she studies.
2

adj
Relating to ancient Greece and Rome and their culture.

He studied classical literature at university.
3

adj
Based on long-established ideas and methods in a subject.

The lecture covered classical theories of economics.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · relating to ancient greece... ancient

3 adj · based on long-established... conventional traditional

More classic

Word family

Derived forms anteclassicalanticlassicalclassicalismclassicalistclassicalityclassicalizationclassicalizeclassicallyclassicalnessclassicalonepiclassicalextraclassical

Related forms classicism

Appears in

Phrases (3)

See all

classical music
a genre of art music rooted in European traditions, typically orchestral or chamber-based

Adjective + noun
classical philology
the study of ancient languages and texts such as Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit

Adjective + noun
classical scholar
a person who studies the languages and literature of ancient Greece and Rome

Adjective + noun

Etymology

See classic § Etymology for history. By surface analysis, class + -ical or classic + -al or class + -ic + -al

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# classical

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈklɛs.ɪ.kəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈklæs.ɪ.k(ə)l/
**Frequency rank:** 6243

## Meanings
1. Relating to traditional, serious music written by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven.
2. Relating to ancient Greece and Rome and their culture.
3. Based on long-established ideas and methods in a subject.

## Examples
- She enjoys listening to classical music while she studies.
- He studied classical literature at university.
- The lecture covered classical theories of economics.

## Synonyms
- classic

## Derived Forms
- anteclassical
- anticlassical
- classicalism
- classicalist
- classicality
- classicalization
- classicalize
- classically
- classicalness
- classicalon
- epiclassical
- extraclassical

## Related Forms
- classicism

## Etymology
See classic § Etymology for history. By surface analysis, class + -ical or classic + -al or class + -ic + -al

## AI Etymology
classical is an adjective. See classic § Etymology for history. By surface analysis, class + -ical or classic + -al or class + -ic + -al. Current senses include relating to traditional, serious music written by composers such as Mozart and Beethoven, relating to ancient Greece and Rome and their culture, and based on long-established ideas and methods in a subject. Derived forms include anteclassical, anticlassical, classicalism, classicalist, and classicality. Related words include classicism.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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