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Classic vs Classical

Definitions​

  • ‘Classic’ (adj) refers to something that is judged to be very typical of its kind (e.g. ‘classic example’); also outstanding (e.g. ‘a classic novel’).
  • ‘Classical’ (adj) refers to something relating to the ancient Greek or Latin world or culture.

What’s the difference between ‘classic’ and ‘classical’?​

These words can be easily confused due to their similarity, but mean entirely different things.

  • As an adjective relating to the culture of ancient Rome and Greece, ‘classical’ is most often found in History, History of Art, and artistic disciplines in general.
  • The word ‘classic’ can also be used in artistic contexts in the sense of ‘outstanding’ (as in a novel or music album), but in research texts, it usually means ‘typical’.

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How they’re used​

Example sentences with ‘classic’

  • He described the classic mistakes companies make in innovation strategy.
  • It became a classic dystopian novel of the 20th century.

Example sentences with ‘classical’

  • The influence of classical antiquity on Islam is explored.
  • They were found to be the earliest classical references to the Celts.