classic

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

• adjective Belonging to the highest rank or class.
• adjective Serving as the established model or standard.
• adjective Having lasting significance or worth; enduring.
• adjective Adhering or conforming to established standards and principles.
• adjective Of a well-known type; typical.
• adjective Of or characteristic of the literature, art, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome; classical.
• adjective Formal, refined, and restrained in style.
• adjective Simple and harmonious; elegant.
• adjective Having historical or literary associations.
• noun An artist, author, or work generally considered to be of the highest rank or excellence, especially one of enduring significance.
• noun A work recognized as definitive in its field.
• noun A literary work of ancient Greece or Rome.
• noun The languages and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. Used with the.
• noun One that is of the highest rank or class.
• noun A typical or traditional example.
• noun Informal A superior or unusual example of its kind.
• noun A traditional event, especially a major sporting event that is held annually.

from The Century Dictionary.

• Belonging to or associated with the first or highest class, especially in literature; accepted as of the highest rank; serving as a standard, model, or guide.
• Pertaining to or having the characteristics of ancient Greece or Rome, especially of their literature and art; specifically, relating to places associated with the ancient Greek and Latin writers.
• Hence Relating to localities associated with great modern authors, or with great historical events: as, classic Stratford; classic Hastings.
• In accordance with the canons of Greek and Roman art: as, a classic profile.
• Same as classical, 5.
• noun An author of the first rank; a writer whose style is pure and correct, and whose works serve as a standard or model; primarily and specifically, a Greek or Roman author of this character, but also a writer of like character in any nation.
• noun A literary production of the first class or rank; specifically, in the plural, the literature of ancient Greece and Rome.
• noun One versed in the classics.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

• noun A work of acknowledged excellence and authority, or its author; -- originally used of Greek and Latin works or authors, but now applied to authors and works of a like character in any language.
• noun One learned in the literature of Greece and Rome, or a student of classical literature.
• adjective Of or relating to the first class or rank, especially in literature or art.
• adjective Of or pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, esp. to Greek or Roman authors of the highest rank, or of the period when their best literature was produced; of or pertaining to places inhabited by the ancient Greeks and Romans, or rendered famous by their deeds.
• adjective Conforming to the best authority in literature and art; chaste; pure; refined.
• adjective (Arch.) See under Order.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

• adjective exemplary of a particular style
• adjective exhibiting timeless quality
• adjective euphemistic traditional; original
• noun A perfect and/or early example of a particular style.
• noun An artistic work of lasting worth
• noun The author of such a work.
• noun A major, long-standing sporting event
• noun dated One learned in the literature of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; a student of classical literature.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

• adjective of or relating to the most highly developed stage of an earlier civilisation and its culture
• adjective of recognized authority or excellence
• adjective of or pertaining to or characteristic of the ancient Greek and Roman cultures
• noun an artist who has created classic works
• noun a creation of the highest excellence