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{{short description|Outstanding example of a particular style}}
{{other uses|Classic (disambiguation)}}
{{refimprove|date=December 2017}}
A '''classic''' is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of [[Masterpiece|lasting worth]] or with a timeless quality; of the first or [[Literary merit|highest quality]], class, or rank<ref name="dref" /> &ndash; something that [[Exemplification|exemplifies]] its [[Class (philosophy)|class]]. The word can be an [[adjective]] (a ''classic'' car) or a [[noun]] (a ''classic'' of English literature). It denotes a particular quality in art, architecture, literature, design, technology, or other cultural artifacts. In commerce, products are named 'classic' to denote a long-standing popular version or model, to distinguish it from a newer variety. ''Classic'' is used to describe many major, long-standing sporting events. Colloquially, an everyday occurrence (e.g. a joke or mishap) may be described in some dialects of English as 'an absolute classic'.

"Classic" should not be confused with ''classical'', which refers specifically to certain cultural styles, especially in [[Classical music|music]] and [[Classical architecture|architecture]]: styles generally taking inspiration from the [[Classical tradition]], hence [[classicism]].

==The Classics==
{{main article|Classics}}
The [[classics]] are the literature of [[ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome|Rome]], known as [[classical antiquity]], and once the principal subject studied in the [[humanities]].  Classics (without the definite article) can refer to the study of philosophy, literature, history and the arts of the ancient world, as in "reading classics at Cambridge". From that usage came the more general concept of 'classic'.<ref name="dref">Definition of [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/classic classic] at ''dictionary.com''.</ref>

The [[Chinese classics]] occupy a similar position in [[Chinese culture]], and various other cultures have their own classics.

==Cultural classics==
Books, films and music particularly may become ''a classic'' but a painting would more likely be called a [[masterpiece]]. A classic is often something old that is still popular.

The first known use of "classic" in this sense – a work so excellent that it is on the level of the "classics" (Greek and Latin authors) – is by the 18th-century scholar [[John Bowle (writer)|Rev. John Bowle]]. He applied the term to ''[[Don Quixote]]'', of which Bowle prepared an innovative edition, such as he judged that a classic work needed.<ref>{{cite journal
|title=A letter to the Reverend Dr. Percy : concerning a new and classical edition of Historia del valeroso cavallero Don Quixote de la Mancha
|first=John
|last=Bowle
|author-link=John Bowle (writer)
|location=London
|year=2001
|volume=21
|number=1
|pages=95–146
|journal=Cervantes (Journal of the Cervantes Society of America)
|url=https://www.h-net.org/~cervantes/csa/artics01/bowle2.pdf
|quote=First edition 1777.}}</ref>

Some other examples would be the 1876 novel ''[[The Adventures of Tom Sawyer]]'' by [[Mark Twain]], the 1941 film ''[[Citizen Kane]]'', and the 1956 song "[[Blue Suede Shoes]]" by [[Elvis Presley]]. Lists of classics are long and wide-ranging,{{cn|date=November 2018}} and would vary depending on personal opinion. [[Classic rock]] is a popular radio format, playing a repertoire of old but familiar recordings.

A contemporary work may be hailed as an ''instant classic'', but the criteria for classic status tends to include the test of time. The term "classic" is in fact often generalized to refer to any work of a certain age, regardless of whether it is any good.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=The Next Generation 1996 Lexicon A to Z|magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=15 |publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=March 1996|page=31}}</ref> A [[cult classic]] may be well known but is only favored by a minority.

[[Pope Francis]] refers to a category of "religious classics": "certain writings [which] arose in a context of [[religious belief]]".<ref>Pope Francis, [https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html Evangelii Gaudium], paragraph 256, published 24 November 2013, accessed 7 May 2024</ref> In his 2015 [[encyclical letter]], ''[[Laudato si']]'', he calls on the world of empirical science to rediscover the meaning and enduring power which such classics can offer to a dialogue with science.<ref>Pope Francis, [https://www.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf Laudato si'], paragraph 199, published 24 May 2015, accessed 7 May 2024</ref>

==Science and technology==
A well known and reliable procedure, such as a demonstration of well-established scientific principle, may be described as classic: e.g. the [[Cartesian diver]] experiment.

==Consumer artifacts==
Manufacturers frequently describe their products as classic, to distinguish the original from a new variety, or to imply qualities in the product – although the [[Ford Consul Classic]], a car manufactured 1961–1963, has the "classic" tag for no apparent reason. The [[iPod classic]] was simply called the iPod until the sixth generation, when ''classic'' was added to the name because other designs were also available – an example of a [[retronym]]. ''Coca-Cola Classic'' is the name used for the relaunch of [[Coca-Cola]] after the failure of the [[New Coke]] recipe change. Similarly, the [[Classic (transit bus)|Classic]], a transit bus manufactured from 1982–1997, succeeded an unpopular futuristic design.

A classic can be something old that remains prized or valuable (but not an [[antique]]). [[Classic car]]s, for example, are recognised by various collectors' organisations such as the [[Classic Car Club of America]], who regulate the qualifying attributes that constitute classic status.

==Sport==
[[Cross-country skiing#Classic|Classic]] style is a technique in cross-country skiing

Many sporting events take the name ''classic'':

*Horse races, e.g. [[British Classic Races]]
*Snooker tournaments e.g. the [[Wuxi Classic]]
*College Basketball e.g. the [[Charleston Classic]]
*Baseball
**Major League Baseball All-Star Game e.g. the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|Midsummer Classic]]
**Major League Baseball World Series e.g. the [[World Series|Fall Classic]]
**[[World Baseball Classic]]
*National Hockey League, the [[Winter Classic]].
*Cycling, the [[Classic cycle races]]

In Spanish-speaking countries, the term {{lang|es|Clásico}} refers to a match between two [[Association football|football]] teams known as traditional rivals, e.g. [[El Clásico]] in Spain.

==See also==
{{Wiktionary|classic|classics}}
*[[Classic book]]
*[[Classical Hollywood cinema]]
*[[Classic stage]] (of American civilisations pre-Columbus)
*[[Design classic]]
*[[Classicism]]
*[[Chinese classics]]
*[[Protection of Classics]]
*[[Western canon]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Concepts in aesthetics]]
[[Category:Culture]]