classic text

Time-tested written work

A classic text is a written work of enduring significance—literature, philosophy, or scholarship that has remained influential across generations.

The term implies both age and lasting value: the classic texts of Western philosophy, assigning classic texts in a literature course.

What counts as classic depends on context; a field may have its own canon of foundational works.

Related

epic · canon · required reading · Western literature · existentialism · ancient wisdom · tradition · tragedy · archiving · translation · archetype · digitization · satire · mythology · annotation · allegory · morality · comedy

Categories
Opposites
temporal status and literary canonization

classic textcontemporary fiction

Recently written realistic novels

new release · modern novel · debut novel · flavor of the month

cultural and literary value

classic textpulp fiction

Sensational cheap literature

potboiler · dime novel · penny dreadful · schlock · beach read

accessibility and format

classic textdigital content

Electronic files for consumption

blog post · tweet · social media post · e-book · web article

Family

classic, text, classics, classical, classically, classicism, classicist, neoclassical, neoclassicism

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G