clas·si·cism
(klăs′ĭ-sĭz′əm) also clas·si·cal·ism (-kə-lĭz′əm)n.1. Aesthetic attitudes and principles manifested in the art, architecture, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome and characterized by emphasis on form, simplicity, proportion, and restraint.
2. Adherence to the aesthetic values embodied in ancient Greek and Roman art, architecture, and literature.
3. Classical scholarship.
4. A Greek or Latin expression or idiom.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
classicism
(ˈklæsɪˌsɪzəm) or classicalism
n1. (Art Terms) a style based on the study of Greek and Roman models, characterized by emotional restraint and regularity of form, associated esp with the 18th century in Europe; the antithesis of romanticism. Compare
neoclassicism 2. knowledge or study of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome
3. a. a Greek or Latin form or expression
b. an expression in a modern language, such as English, that is modelled on a Greek or Latin form
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
clas•si•cism
(ˈklæs əˌsɪz əm) also clas•si•cal•ism
(-ɪ kəˌlɪz əm)
n. 1. the principles or styles characteristic of the literature and art of ancient Greece and Rome.
2. adherence to such principles.
3. the classical style in literature and art, or adherence to its principles.
4. a Greek or Latin idiom or form, esp. one used in some other language.
5. classical scholarship or learning.
[1820–30]
clas`si•cis′tic, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
classicism
1. formerly, an imitation of Greek and Roman art.
2. currently, a dedication to the principles of that art: clarity of execution, balance, adherence to recognized standards of form, and conscious craftsmanship. — classicist, n. — classicistic, adj.
See also: Art
1. the employment of compositional formulas and decorative techniques based upon the architecture of ancient Greece or Rome, but often including new ideas.
2. the employment of formulas and decorative techniques with an emphasis upon the subordination of utility in order to stress perfection of form.
See also: Architecture
a literary style characterized by formal adherence to traditions of structure, content, and genre. — classicist, n. — classicize, v.
See also: Literary Style
the principles or style of classic art or literature. — classicist, n.
See also: Antiquity-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.