Definition

1. Noun:
   • A movement in literature and art: "Classicalism" refers to a specific artistic and literary movement, primarily in 17th and 18th century Europe, characterized by an emphasis on order, harmony, rationality, clarity, and restraint.
   • Adherence to classical principles: It denotes a style or approach that draws inspiration from the art, architecture, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, valuing strict forms, balance, and proportion.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The architecture of the building reflects a clear classicalism, with its symmetrical columns and triangular pediment.
  • The poet's work is known for its classicalism, favoring structured meter and themes of reason over emotional expression.

Advanced Usage

• "a return to classicalism": A revival or renewed interest in the principles of classicism.
  • The 19th-century neoclassical movement was a deliberate return to classicalism.

Variants and Related Words

• Classicism (n): The more common and preferred term for the same concept. "Classicalism" is a less frequent variant.
• Neoclassicism (n): A later revival (18th-19th centuries) of classical principles in art and architecture.
• Classical (adj): Pertaining to the ancient Greeks and Romans, or to the principles of classicism.
  • She studied classical literature.

Synonyms

• Classicism: The primary synonym.
• Formalism: Emphasis on strict adherence to forms (can overlap but is not identical).
• Traditionalism: Adherence to tradition, which in this context often means classical tradition.

Antonyms

• Romanticism: A movement emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature over reason and order.
• Baroque: An artistic style characterized by ornate detail, movement, and dramatic intensity, preceding and contrasting with classicism.
• Modernism: A 20th-century movement that often deliberately broke with classical forms and traditions.

Noun

1. a movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms
   • classicism often derived its models from the ancient Greeks and Romans