classic

adj

1. Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.

   “During the whole time of his abode in the university he generally spent thirteen hours of the day in study; by which assiduity besides an exact dispatch of the whole course of philosophy, he read over in a manner all classic authors that are extant[…]”

   “Give, as thy last memorial to the age, / One classic drama, and reform the stage.”

2. Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class or category; typical; archetypical; epitomic.

   “He has a classic case of narcissism.”

   “The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.”

3. Exhibiting timeless quality and excellence.

   “"To Kill a Mockingbird" is a 1960 classic book by Harper Lee.”

4. Characteristic of or from the past; old; retro; vintage.

   “watching classic movies as a hobby”

5. Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, especially to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds.

   “1819, Felicia Hemans, The Widow of Crescentius Though throned midst Latium's classic plains.”

6. Traditional; original.

   “Users who dislike the new visual layout can return to classic mode.”

   “Many of these classic methods are still used, with some modern improvements. For example, with the aid of special microphones and automated sound detection software, ornithologists recently reported […] that pine siskins (Spinus pinus) undergo an irregular, nomadic type of nocturnal migration.”

noun

1. A perfect and/or early example of a particular style.
2. An artistic work of lasting worth, such as a film or song; a work of enduring excellence.

   “JAMES CARTER: The man's destroying a classic!”

3. The author of such a work.

   “It was the first work to which he had put his name; and it at once raised him to the rank of a legitimate English classic.”

4. A major, long-standing sporting event.
5. A major, long-standing sporting event.

   “The goal of the top horses was to win a Classic (or preferably three, thus claiming the Triple Crown) or the Ascot Gold Cup, […]”

6. (dated)One learned in the literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; a student of classical literature.