I. clas ‧ sic 1 W3 AC /ˈklæsɪk/ BrE AmE adjective [usually before noun]
1 . TYPICAL having all the features that are typical or expected of a particular thing or situation
classic example/mistake/case etc
Too many job hunters make the classic mistake of thinking only about what’s in it for them.
2 . ADMIRED admired by many people, and having a value that has continued for a long time:
The Coca-Cola bottle is one of the classic designs of the last century.
a collection of classic cars
3 . VERY GOOD of excellent quality:
Roy scored a classic goal in the 90th minute.
4 . TRADITIONAL a classic style of art or clothing is attractive in a simple traditional way ⇨ classical :
She chose a classic navy suit for the ceremony.
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THESAURUS
▪ typical a typical person or thing is a good example of that type of person or thing:
With his camera around his neck, he looked like a typical tourist.
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The windows are typical of houses built during this period.
▪ classic used to describe a very typical and very good example of something:
It was a classic case of the cure being worse than the disease.
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a classic mistake
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The book is a classic example of great teamwork.
▪ archetypal the archetypal person or thing is the most typical example of that kind of person or thing, and has all their most important qualities:
the archetypal English village
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Indiana Jones is the archetypal adventure hero.
▪ quintessential used when you want to emphasize that someone or something is the very best example of something – used especially when you admire them very much:
the quintessential guide to New York
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Robert Plant is the quintessential rock ‘n’ roll singer.
▪ stereotypical having the characteristics that many people believe a particular type of person or thing has – used when you think these beliefs are not true:
Hollywood films are full of stereotypical images of women as wives and mothers.
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He challenges stereotypical ideas about people with disabilities.
▪ representative containing the most common types of people or things that are found in something, and showing what it is usually like:
a representative sample of college students
▪ characteristic very typical of a particular type of thing, or of someone’s character or usual behaviour:
Each species of bird has its own characteristic song.
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What gives Paris its characteristic charm?
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He played with his characteristic skill.
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the characteristic symptoms of the disease
▪ be the epitome of something to be the best possible example of a particular type of person or thing or of a particular quality:
His house was thought to be the epitome of good taste.
II. classic 2 AC BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a book, play, or film that is important and has been admired for a long time:
‘La Grande Illusion’ is one of the classics of French cinema.
all-time/modern/design etc classic
The play has become an American classic.
2 . something that is very good and one of the best examples of its kind:
What makes a car a classic?
3 . classics [plural] the language, literature, and history of ancient Rome and Greece ⇨ classicist :
Judith studied classics at Oxford.