Klassieke

Klassieke is a Dutch adjective meaning classical. It is used to describe works, styles, and periods associated with the classical tradition, especially those derived from or inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, as well as later movements that imitate these models. In everyday usage, it often designates high-cultural forms such as klassieke muziek, klassieke literatuur, klassieke architectuur, and klassieke filosofie, collectively forming what is commonly known as the classical canon.

The term derives from Latin classicus via the French classique and entered Dutch in the early modern period. In Dutch, the form klassiek(e) is used before a noun to indicate that the noun belongs to this tradition (for example, klassieke muziek, klassieke literatuur, klassieke architectuur). Beyond specific genres, klassiek is also used more broadly to describe works considered timeless, enduring, or representative of traditional standards.

In contemporary Dutch, the word can have a neutral or positive connotation when referring to the arts, but in casual speech 'klassiek' can mean old-fashioned or not modern. The exact sense is thus context-dependent, ranging from scholarly categories to everyday descriptors.

See also: Classical music, Classical literature, Classical architecture, Classicism.