class

1 of 2

noun

plural classes
often attributive
1
a
: a body of students meeting regularly to study the same subject
Several students in the class are absent today.
b
: the period during which such a body meets
c
: a course of instruction
is doing well in her algebra class
d
: a body of students or alumni whose year of graduation is the same
donated by the class of 1995
2
a
: a group sharing the same economic or social status
the working class
b
: social rank
especially : high social rank
the classes as opposed to the masses
c
: high quality : elegance
a hotel with class
3
: a group, set, or kind sharing common attributes: such as
a
: a major category in biological taxonomy ranking above the order and below the phylum or division
b
: a collection of adjacent and discrete or continuous values of a random variable
c
: a collection of elements (such as numbers or points) : set sense 21
d
: a property of a geometric curve that is equal to the number of tangents that can be drawn to it through any point not on the curve
A curve is said to be of the nth degree or order when any right line meets it in n points and of the nth class when n tangents can be drawn to it through any assumed point.George Salmon
4
: a division or rating based on grade or quality
a class B movie
5
: the best of its kind
the class of the league
6
: a data type in object-oriented programming that consists of a group of objects (see object entry 1 sense 6a) with the same properties and behaviors and that can be arranged in a hierarchy with other such data types

class

2 of 2

verb

classed; classing; classes

transitive verb

: classify
She was classed as a part-time worker.

Examples of class in a Sentence

Noun There are 20 students in the class. Several people in the class are absent today. This class is really difficult. He will be teaching an American history class next semester. The college offers classes in computer programming and engineering. She is taking a class on psychology. What classes are you taking this semester? I have an English class this morning. My class got out early today. I have already missed two classes. Verb I would class that suggestion as helpful, so let's make a note of it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Thursday’s announcement represents the first major overhaul of the service offerings in the class. Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 Instead, he was given six months of unsupervised probation, a $500 fine, 24 hours of community service, and an order to take a firearm safety class. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 In October, a Kansas City, Mo., jury found that NAR and major brokerages conspired to keep commissions artificially high and awarded a class of Missouri home sellers $1.8 billion in damages. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The week remains stubbornly traditional Both Sanders and Fain argued that the working class need to get their personal lives back and reap the fruits of their efforts. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Robinhood surged over 5% after the trading platform reported an increase in trading volume across all asset classes since January, indicating the return of retail investors to the market. Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 14 Mar. 2024 Central Indiana Wilderness Club is hosting this class featuring a variety of topics including selecting gear, trail safety, camping, backcountry ethics and pooping in the woods. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 One initiative is Citrus & Salt, which previously hosted cooking classes and tours of Tel Aviv’s markets for tourists. Melanie Lidman, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar. 2024 Following the tragedy, Owasso High School staged a walkout, with 40 students leaving class to protest his death — and the bullying policies students believe caused Benedict’s death, NBC News reported. Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024
Verb
But of course, Thierry Mugler’s looks could scarcely ever be classed as ready-to-wear. Alice Newbold, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 Skiing and Snowboarding Stats Tremblant offers 102 trails across 755 skiable acres; of those 100+ trails, 22 are classed as easy, 31 are difficult, and 49 are very difficult and extreme, per the mountain resort. Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 4 Mar. 2024 Price at time of publish: From $13 This water bottle sling is a stylish way for students to carry their water bottle with them to class, the gym, or just about anywhere. Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2023 In other words, these systems have to somehow stand in the hallway on the first day of school and tell each student which classes to go to and how to get there without knowing who any of the kids are or what their course schedule is. Lily Hay Newman, WIRED, 7 Dec. 2023 Lululemon Swiftly Tech Relaxed-Fit Polo Shirt Golf, tennis, or pickleball pros can class it up on the court with this crop polo, currently just $39. Gabrielle Porcaro, Travel + Leisure, 12 Nov. 2023 When asked to compare revenue between their past two years of business operations, 82% of expert delegators had seen growth compared to just 66% of the rest of the participants, which the survey classed as ‘non-expert’ delegators. Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 Basically, the nail art of 2024 is a choose-your-own-adventure moment that can be classed up or dressed down. Chloe Metzger, Allure, 24 Nov. 2023 For most contractors these are classed as essential items, and should be tax-deductible. Bob Beacham, Field & Stream, 1 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'class.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

French classe, from Latin classis group called to military service, fleet, class; perhaps akin to Latin calare to call — more at low entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1642, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of class was in 1583

Dictionary Entries Near class

Cite this Entry

“Class.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/class. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

class

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a group of students meeting regularly to study the same subject
b
: the period during which such a group meets
c
: a course of instruction
d
: a group of students who graduate together
class of 1990
2
a
: a group or rank of society
the working class
b
: high social rank
c
: high quality : elegance sense 2
a hotel with class
3
a
: a group or set alike in some way
b
: a major category in biological classification that is above the order and below the phylum or division
c
: a grouping or standing (as of goods or services) based on quality
classless
-ləs
adjective

class

2 of 2 verb

Medical Definition

class

noun
often attributive
: a group, set, or kind marked by common attributes or a common attribute
especially : a major category in biological taxonomy ranking above the order and below the phylum or division
the class Mammalia

Legal Definition

class

noun
: a group of persons or things having characteristics in common: as
a
: a group of persons who have some common relationship to a person making a will and are designated to receive a gift under the will but whose identities will not be determined until sometime in the future see also class gift at gift
b
: a group of securities (as stocks or bonds) having similar distinguishing features (as voting rights or priority of redemption)
c
: a group whose members are represented in a class action
e
: a group of crimes forming a category distinguished by a common characteristic (as the use of violence or the requirement for a maximum penalty)
murder is a class A felony

More from Merriam-Webster on class

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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