"The economic analysis of the 18th and 19th centuries associated with Thomas Malthus (1766–1834), John Stuart Mill (1806–1873), David Ricardo (1772–1823), and Adam Smith (1723–1790). Classical economics represents the genesis of modern economic analysis; it provided lasting insights into the efficiency of competition, the process of growth, and the theory of value."
-- Definition of "classical economics" in A Dictionary of Economics: Oxford University Press (2009)