classical

classical — 形容詞

1. Describes art, music, literature, or methods that follow long-established forms

1.形容詞C2
釋義

經典的

風格傳統且具有持久價值的

Describes art, music, literature, or methods that follow long-established forms and are regarded as having lasting importance and quality.

例句

The school orchestra plays classical pieces alongside modern film scores every spring.

學校管弦樂團每年春天都會演奏經典曲目和現代電影配樂。

contrasts classical and modern in the same sentence

Dr. Okafor recommends a classical approach to studying ancient philosophical texts.

Okafor 醫師建議採用經典方法來研究古代哲學文本。

collocation: classical approach

同義詞
  • traditional

    Broader term — can refer to any custom or practice passed down, not only those of high artistic status

  • established

    Focuses on acceptance over time rather than aesthetic value; more neutral in tone

  • standard

    Describes a normal or expected form, not necessarily one with high artistic prestige

反義詞
  • modern

    Contemporary or innovative in style, often deliberately breaking with tradition

  • popular

    Mass-appeal culture as opposed to the high-art tradition classical implies

用法筆記

Often paired with a contrasting style (modern, contemporary, popular) to mark the difference between established and newer forms.

常見錯誤

❌I enjoy classic music by Mozart.
✅I enjoy classical music by Mozart.
💡'classic' means 'typical/excellent of its kind'; 'classical' refers to the long-established tradition of Western art music.

2. Describes a design, appearance, or piece of clothing that is pleasing because of

2.形容詞B2
釋義

古典

樣式簡約而傳統優雅的

Describes a design, appearance, or piece of clothing that is pleasing because of its clean, simple shape and balanced proportions that do not go out of fashion.

例句

The new hotel has a classical design with simple white columns and large windows.

這家新旅館採用古典設計，配有簡單的白色柱子和寬大的窗戶。

collocation: classical design

Pia chose a classical wedding dress with a clean, elegant silhouette.

Pia 選擇了一件剪裁乾淨、線條優雅的古典婚紗。

同義詞
  • classic

    Can overlap in meaning, but 'classic' often emphasises being typical or memorable rather than belonging to a historical design tradition

  • elegant

    Focuses on refined grace rather than adherence to historical tradition

  • neoclassical

    More specific — describes revival styles inspired by ancient Greek and Roman forms, especially in architecture

反義詞
  • ornate

    Heavily decorated, in contrast to the clean simplicity of classical design

  • modernist

    A 20th-century design movement that rejected historical ornament in favour of entirely new forms

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1, this sense applies only to visual or physical objects (buildings, furniture, clothing, interiors). Does not extend to abstract systems like economics or physics.

常見錯誤

❌The hotel has a classic design with white columns.' (Possible but ambiguous.)
✅The hotel has a classical design with white columns.
💡Use 'classical' when you mean 'in the long-established traditional style of Western architecture', not just 'typical' or 'memorable'.

3. Relating to the period of European music history roughly between 1750 and 1830,

3.形容詞C1
釋義

古典樂派的

1750至1830年間的歐洲音樂風格

Relating to the period of European music history roughly between 1750 and 1830, whose compositions are marked by balanced phrases, clear structures, and formal control — associated especially with composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and early Beethoven.

例句

Haydn and Mozart composed some of their finest works during the Classical period.

海頓和莫札特最精彩的作品有一部分是在古典樂派時期創作的。

collocation: Classical period (capitalised, historical)

Tomás is analysing the sonata form of early Classical symphonies for his music exam.

Tomás 為了音樂考試，正在分析早期古典樂派交響曲的奏鳴曲式。

同義詞
  • Classical-era

    Explicitly historical, used as a compound modifier (Classical-era composers)

  • Viennese Classical

    Refers specifically to the Haydn–Mozart–Beethoven school centred in Vienna

用法筆記

When capitalised (Classical period, Classical era), this sense distinguishes itself from the broader sense 1. 'Classical music' (lowercase) in everyday use refers broadly to Western art music from many eras, not only 1750–1830.

常見錯誤

❌Beethoven's late works are from the Classical period.
✅Beethoven's late works belong to the early Romantic period.
💡The Classical period ended around 1830; Beethoven's late works (1820s) bridge into Romanticism.

4. Relating to the cultural traditions, art, literature, and architecture that come

4.形容詞B2
釋義

古希臘羅馬的

古希臘與古羅馬文化的

Relating to the cultural traditions, art, literature, and architecture that come from the Greek and Roman civilisations of the ancient world.

例句

The museum displays classical sculptures from Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire.

博物館展示了來自古希臘和羅馬帝國的古典雕塑。

Yara studied classical architecture at university and later designed government buildings.

Yara 在大學攻讀古希臘羅馬建築，後來設計了多棟政府大樓。

collocation: classical architecture

同義詞
  • Greco-Roman

    More formal term that explicitly names both civilisations; common in academic writing

  • ancient

    Much broader — covers any civilisation from antiquity (Egyptian, Chinese, etc.), not only Greece and Rome

反義詞
  • medieval

    Belonging to the period after the fall of the Roman Empire, roughly 500–1500 CE

  • modern

    Contemporary or post-Renaissance, distinguished from the ancient world

用法筆記

Often appears in academic contexts (classical studies, classical civilisation). Unlike sense 2, this sense refers to actual historical cultures, not a design style inspired by them.

常見錯誤

❌The building has a classical Roman design.
✅The building has a Roman classical design.
💡When specifying the civilisation, place 'classical' after the civilisation name for clarity.