classicism

noun

clas·​si·​cism ˈkla-sə-ˌsi-zəm 

1

a

: the principles or style embodied in the literature, art, or architecture of ancient Greece and Rome

b

: classical scholarship

c

: a classical idiom or expression

2

: adherence to traditional standards (as of simplicity, restraint, and proportion) that are universally and enduringly valid

Examples of classicism in a Sentence

a return to classicism in modern architecture

the classicism of the building

Recent Examples on the Web

His in-your-face classicism is the kind of thing critics love to fight about. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 May 2024

Baked into the self-conscious classicism was the inevitable worry about what would happen if republican virtue gave way to late-imperial luxury and vice. —Nick Bowlin, Harper's Magazine, 30 Mar. 2024

Quality choreography that celebrates classicism, that highlights musicality — that even pushes the form into new realms — isn’t the norm. —Gia Kourlas, New York Times, 8 Mar. 2024

And there are men of different ages that appreciate classicism but want a contemporary spin. —Paul Croughton, Robb Report, 17 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

classicism

noun

clas·​si·​cism ˈklas-ə-ˌsiz-əm 

1

: the principles or style of the literature, art, or architecture of ancient Greece and Rome

2

: a following of the standards of tradition (as in music or art)