Classic: adjective
Classicmeans ‘high quality’. In particular, we use it to mean something that isvaluedbecause it has a traditional style:
She was wearing aclassicdark blue skirt.
It’s aclassicmotorbike from the 1940s.
Classicalso means a perfect or most typical example of something:
The show is aclassicexample of TV made for children.
Classic: noun
We can usea classicandthe classicsto refer to the greatestand most famous works of literature from the past:
Tolstoy’s ‘War and Peace’ isa classic.
I never read modern novels. I always preferthe classics, such as Dickens and Jane Austen.
Classicswithout an article means the academic subject which includes the study of Ancient Greek and Latin:
My sister is studyingClassicsat Manchester University right now.
Classical: adjective
We useclassicalto refer to the culture of the past and to art forms which belong to a long formal tradition:
Mozart is probably the best-knownclassicalcomposer.
She’s only eight years old and she has learned to dance bothclassicaland modern ballet.
See also:
Adjectives