classic
/ˈklæsɪk/adjective, noun
classic is spelled C-L-A-S-S-I-C. The wrong spelling people search most is clasic: about 290 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 58 of all searches for the word. Classic is an adjective meaning “Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art”.
How many letters and syllables are in classic?
| Letters | 7: C-L-A-S-S-I-C |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 52 times per million words; the 1,941st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 1; the most searched, clasic, about 290 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell classic?
Classic is spelled C-L-A-S-S-I-C. One wrong spelling is searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 58 of the searches for classic in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is classic?
Classic appears 52 times per million words in written English, the 1,941st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce classic?
- US /ˈklæsɪk/
- British /ˈklasɪk/
- /ˈklɛsək/
Classic has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-classic.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of classic
- more classic comparative
- most classic superlative
- classics plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does classic mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
- 2
Exemplary of a particular style; defining a class or category; typical; archetypical; epitomic.
He has a classic case of narcissism.
- 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.
- 6
Traditional; original.
Users who dislike the new visual layout can return to classic mode.
- 7
informalHumorously ironic or apposite.
It was classic–the way she slipped on a banana peel while she was telling us all to be careful!
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.
- 3
The author of such a work.
- 4
A major, long-standing sporting event.
- 5
Any of the British Classic Races, five long-standing Group 1 horse races run during the traditional flat racing season.
- 6
datedOne learned in the literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; a student of classical literature.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Classic in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does classic come from?
From French classique, from Latin classic(us) (“relating to the classes of Roman citizenry, especially the highest”), from classis. By surface analysis, class + -ic. Piecewise doublet of classy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).