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classical

classical

130 3.8
Relating to formal European music like symphonies and operas
  • adjective
  • /ˈklæsɪkəl/
: clásico
  • You like classical music?
  • classical music
  • classical musician
  • classical piece

It's exactly the same thing in classical music, precisely the same thing.

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Examples

  • I happen to like classical, but I also like guitar and I like a lot of old songs and music from the movies.

  • Slow, soothing music such as classical pieces has been associated with increased milk yield due to its calming effects on cows.

  • This was a little weird because these women were all classical music fans.

  • This is just classical music and like so far, everyone looks so young.

  • And now my parents have no connections at this point into the classical music world.

  • The possibility of failure in the world of a classical musician is so much higher than in any other field.

  • But that's perfect for a classical music program.

  • In the 1950s, he engineered and produced classical music albums for Angel Records.

    Academic text (2011)
  • I prefer classical Bach and Beethoven.

  • At the concert hall, the audience applauded enthusiastically after the classical orchestra performed a beautiful symphony.

Compounds

Music that is formal and often played by orchestras, mainly from Europe since the 1700s

A traditional dance style with precise, formal movements performed to classical music

Art from ancient Greece that uses balance and simple beauty, like statues and temples

A form of Ancient Greek spoken and written in Athens to create famous plays and philosophy around 400 BC

classical mechanics
  • Specialized
1 5.9

Part of physics that explains how objects move when forces act, not using quantum or relativity

A building style that uses tall columns, symmetry, and simple proportions

classical mythology
  • Literature
1 6.1

Stories about gods and heroes from ancient Greece and Rome

The form of Latin used by educated people in ancient Rome, especially in literature and formal writing

A person who studies ancient Greek and Latin language, writings, and culture

1 3.9

Learning where a neutral thing causes an automatic reaction after being paired many times with something that already causes it

classical philology
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Study of ancient languages and texts like Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit

1 6.4

The usual design of computers and software that do not use quantum methods

classical hemophilia
  • Specialized
5.2

An inherited bleeding disorder where people lack clotting protein factor VIII and bleed for a long time, mainly males

How Early

prehistoric
51 5.2
archaic
33 9.9
preclassical
  • Specialized
1 8.1
classical
130 3.8
postclassical
  • Specialized
1 8.0

Surface Forms

classical positive

Morphology

classical = classic (semi-transparent) = classic + al

The formation is regular, but 'classical' as a label for a specific historical European music tradition is a conventionalized sense that learners must learn as a domain-specific extension.

Etymology

The word classical for music borrows the same idea: from Latin classicus 'of the first class', it names music that follows clear forms and balance, which is why Mozart and Beethoven are part of the classical tradition.