Classicism comes from classic + -ism, from Latin classicus ('of the highest class, first-rate'), from classis ('class, division'). The historical trail runs through classicus in Latin and classis in Latin. Morphologically, classicism is transparent: it draws on classic + -ism, from Latin classicus ('of the highest class, first-rate'), from classis ('class, division'). Used as a noun, classicism now means "adherence to the principles of ancient Greek and Roman art and culture", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in derived forms such as classicist and related forms such as classic, classical, and class. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.