CLASSICAL

adjective Etymology: Latin classicus Date: 1599 standard , classic , 2. of or relating to the ancient Greek and Roman world and especially to its literature, art, architecture, or ideals , versed in the classics , 3. of or relating to music of the late 18th and early 19th centuries characterized by an emphasis on balance, clarity, and moderation, of, relating to, or being music in the educated European tradition that includes such forms as art song, chamber music, opera, and symphony as distinguished from folk or popular music or jazz, 4. authoritative , traditional, b. of or relating to a form or system considered of first significance in earlier times , not involving relativity, wave mechanics, or quantum theory , conforming to a pattern of usage sanctioned by a body of literature rather than by everyday speech, concerned with or giving instruction in the humanities, the fine arts, and the broad aspects of science