classicalist
|clas-si-cal-ist|
/ˈklæsɪsɪst/
specialist or supporter of the classical (the classics)
Etymology
'classicalist' originates from Modern English, specifically the combination of 'classical' + the suffix '-ist', where 'classical' comes from Latin 'classicus' meaning 'belonging to a class' (later 'of the highest class' or 'standard') and the suffix '-ist' (via Greek/French) denotes 'one who practices or is concerned with'.
'classical' developed from Latin 'classicus' into Old French 'classique' and then into Middle/Modern English 'classical'; adding the agentive suffix '-ist' produced the modern English formation 'classicalist'.
Initially 'classicus' meant 'belonging to a class' or 'of a class (often the highest)'; over time 'classical' came to mean both 'of or relating to ancient Greek and Roman antiquity' and 'representing an established standard', and 'classicalist' evolved to mean a specialist in the classics or a supporter of classical styles.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a scholar who specializes in the languages, literature, history, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome (the classics).
The classicalist published a new translation of a fragmentary Greek play.
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Noun 2
a person who advocates or practices classical styles or approaches in art, music, literature, or scholarship (a supporter of classical norms or forms).
As a classicalist, she preferred strict forms to experimental techniques.
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Last updated: 2025/10/20 23:58