classics
Britishplural noun
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a body of literature regarded as great or lasting, esp that of ancient Greece or Rome
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the ancient Greek and Latin languages
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(functioning as singular) ancient Greek and Roman culture considered as a subject for academic study
Explanation
In awe of Zeus, Antigone, and Hercules? Spend your days debating the philosophy of Plato and Cicero? Then you are a lover of the classics — the literary works of Ancient Greece or Rome. Some people choose to major in French, math or biology. Others take classes in the classics, since they are crazy for learning about the roots of western civilization. The classics include Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, poetry, theater, epic tales, and mythology. Much like a movie that is considered classic, because it can be appreciated over time, the classics of Ancient Greece and Rome have been appreciated ever since — well, ever since the days of Ancient Greece and Rome. Notice that the word the often comes before classics.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Hell belongs to the powerhouses; the burly classics riders who cannot go over mountains day after day, but who can go for longer and harder across one epic day of racing.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
On stage, they’re still in their prime, slinging out classics like “Grindin’” and “Virginia” between last year’s “Chains & Whips” and “So Be It.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Mr. Hard, who worked on Harriet Tubman’s previous two albums, is a protégé of Teo Macero, whose studio editing marked several Miles Davis classics, including “Bitches Brew.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026
Soon after, her pilot for a “sapphic murder story” inspired by “Killing Eve” netted her 22 pitch meetings — the first was with director Sam Raimi, whose early-career “Evil Dead” movies are beloved cult classics.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026
“J Dilla. Detroit legend. He died when I was little. I’m into the classics, but all Detroit, all day. Motown, J Dilla, Slum Village.”
From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
