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ne·o·clas·si·cism also Ne·o·clas·si·cism

(nē′ō-klăsĭ-sĭz′əm)

1. A revival of classical aesthetics and forms, especially:

a. A revival in literature in the late 1600s and 1700s, characterized by a regard for the classical ideals of reason, form, and restraint.

b. A revival in the 1700s and 1800s in architecture and art, especially in the decorative arts, characterized by order, symmetry, and simplicity of style.

c. A movement in music lasting roughly from 1915 to 1940 that sought to avoid subjective emotionalism and to return to the style of the pre-Romantic composers.

2. Any of various intellectual movements that embrace a set of traditional principles regarded as fundamental or authoritative.

ne′o·classic, ne′o·classi·cal adj.

ne′o·classi·cist n.

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neoclassicism

the Pantheon

Paris, France

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

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Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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