Classicalization

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of transforming something into a style or form associated with classical art, literature, or culture
2. The act of adopting or adapting elements from classical traditions to modern contexts
3. A cultural shift that emphasizes the principles and aesthetics of classical antiquity in various forms of expression

Etymology: Classicalization is a plain formation: the adjective "classical" with the suffix "-ization", which turns an adjective into a noun for the process of making something conform to a quality. Here "classical" carries its specialized sense of ancient Greek and Roman art, literature and architecture, so the word names the act of adopting the styles of that antiquity. The suffix does the work. "-ize" (from Greek "-izein") forms verbs meaning "to make or become like", and "-ation" or "-ization" turns those verbs into nouns naming the process. Attaching it to "classical" produces a term for the process by which a culture, building or artist takes on the forms of ancient models, such as Roman columns on a modern government building or Greek motifs in neoclassical painting.

Synonyms: classicization, traditionalization, formalization, standardization, canonization

Antonyms: modernization, innovation, change, adaptation, alteration