classicism
|clas-sic-ism|
🇺🇸
/ˈklæsɪsɪzəm/
🇬🇧
/ˈklæsɪsɪz(ə)m/
reverence for classical models
Etymology
'classicism' originates from French, specifically the word 'classicisme', where 'classique' (from Latin 'classicus') meant 'of the first class or pertaining to a class'.
'classicism' changed from the French word 'classicisme', which in turn derives from Latin 'classicus' (related to 'classis' meaning 'a division or class'); the term entered English through Modern French usage.
Initially it meant 'pertaining to the first class or highest rank', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'artistic adherence to the models and principles of classical antiquity.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an artistic style or movement that draws on the art, literature, and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome; the principles of order, balance, clarity, and restraint derived from classical antiquity.
The museum's exhibition emphasized the classicism of 18th-century sculpture.
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Noun 2
adherence to traditional forms, rules, and restraint in art or literature; a preference for established models and formal harmony over experimentation.
Her essays show a clear preference for classicism rather than experimental prose.
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Last updated: 2025/10/21 02:10