Classicises

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Shapes or renders a work in the manner of ancient Greek or Roman art and literature ; regards or presents a text or artwork as a model of enduring excellence
2. Creates something following classical forms and principles ; treats a piece of writing or music as an established masterpiece worthy of reverence
3. Produces work in the style of antiquity's great traditions ; elevates a creation to the status of a timeless standard for others to admire

Etymology: Latin "classis" once named a division of Roman citizens sorted by wealth, and "classicus" meant belonging to the highest of those divisions. That sense of first-rate standing passed into English as "classic," which came to mean a work of the highest rank, especially in literature and the arts. The verb is built by adding the suffix "-ise" to that adjective. The ending came through Middle French "-iser" and Late Latin "-izare" from Ancient Greek "-izein," a suffix that forms verbs meaning to make, treat, or behave in a certain way. This form, with its third-person "-s," describes one subject doing this: making something conform to classical models, or treating something as a classic.