classically
|clas-sic-al-ly|
🇺🇸
/ˈklæsɪkli/
🇬🇧
/ˈklæsɪk(ə)li/
(classical)
traditional excellence
Etymology
'classically' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'classicus', where 'classis' meant 'a division or class (a group)'. The English adjective 'classical' was formed from this root and the adverb 'classically' from 'classical' + '-ly'.
'classicus' in Latin passed into French as 'classique', which entered English as 'classical' in the 17th century; the adverb 'classically' was later formed by adding the English adverbial suffix '-ly'.
Initially related to 'belonging to a class' or 'of the highest class', the term evolved to refer especially to the arts and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and, more broadly, to traditional or established styles; this broader modern sense is retained in 'classically'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
in the style or manner of the culture, art, or literature of ancient Greece and Rome; in a way characteristic of the classical tradition.
The orchestra played the symphony classically, using period phrasing and balance.
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Adverb 2
in a traditional, formal, or established way; according to long-standing standards or conventions.
She was classically trained in ballet and emphasizes technique in her teaching.
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Adverb 3
in a manner that is typical of a textbook example or a well-established archetype; archetypically.
It was classically awkward when both of them forgot each other's names.
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Adverb 4
according to classical (non-quantum) physics or classical theory; in contexts contrasting classical and modern/quantum descriptions.
Classically, the motion would be predictable, but quantum effects change the outcome.
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Last updated: 2026/01/09 17:44