noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈklæːsəkəl mjuːzɪk/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈklasɪk(ə)l ˈmjuːzɪk/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Music of the classical period; the music of Mozart, Haydn, etc; the musical period before the romantic.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The more serious forms of music, taught through formal education and performed according to strict rules, as opposed to folk music or popular music.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable, usually
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: classical, serious music
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: music genre, musical genre, genre, musical style