classicism

English

Etymology

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁-der.
Proto-Italic *klāssis
Latin classis
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Indo-European *-ikos
Proto-Italic *-ikos
Latin -icus
Latin classicuslbor.
French classiquebor.
English classic
Proto-Indo-European *-id-
Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti
Proto-Hellenic *-íd͏̌d͏̌ō
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)
Proto-Indo-European *-mos
Proto-Indo-European *-mós
Ancient Greek -μός (-mós)
Ancient Greek -ῐσμός (-ĭsmós)der.
English -ism
English classicism

    From classic + -ism.

    Noun

    classicism (countable and uncountable, plural classicisms)

    1. (uncountable) All the classical traditions of the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome, especially the aspects of simplicity, elegance and proportion.
      • 2008 June 9, Alastair Macaulay, “In Student Steps and Leaps, a Survey of National Styles”, in The New York Times‎[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 29 August 2025:
        It catches an American athleticism and energetic team spirit that still seem to smash European notions of ballet classicism, as does its dancers’ selfless manner and their practicelike costumes.
    2. (uncountable) Classical scholarship.
    3. (countable) A Latin or Ancient Greek expression used in an English sentence.

    Derived terms

    Translations

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