classic
n. countablen. a piece of work, like a book, movie, or song, that people consider to be of very high quality and lasting value. It is something that stays popular or respected for a long time.
n. a work of art, literature, or music recognized as having established value and enduring quality. Often used to refer to a standard-setting example of a particular style or period.
This 1950s film is a true Hollywood classic.
The professor argued that while many novels are popular today, only a few will become true classics in the next century.
Scholars often debate what criteria a contemporary work must meet to be deemed a classic, usually focusing on its influence on subsequent generations and its ability to transcend its original cultural context.
From French classique, from Latin classic(us) (“relating to the classes of Roman citizenry, especially the highest”), from classis. By surface analysis, class + -ic. Piecewise doublet of classy.
Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the literature of ancient Greece and Rome ('the Classics').