class

1 of 2

noun

ˈklas 

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.

Synonyms

Noun

• caste
• estate
• folk
• gentry
• order
• stratum

Verb

• assort
• break down
• categorize
• classify
• codify
• compartment
• compartmentalize
• digest
• distinguish
• distribute
• grade
• group
• peg
• place
• range
• rank
• relegate
• separate
• sort
• type

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

In-person classes on the basics of starting a pollinator garden and selecting plants will be held at 11 a.m. May 9 and 10. —Journal Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2024

While thousands of Arkansas students will be out of class during today's total eclipse, some school districts in or near the path of totality still plan to be in session. —Josh Snyder, arkansasonline.com, 8 Apr. 2024

The full thirty-minute clip of the class, including Williams’s responses to other students, was uploaded to his label’s YouTube channel in March of that year; in June, a fan posted Rogers’s portion to Reddit. —Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

Literacy, soft skills and the GED The English learning class is geared toward immigrants and refugees who may be proficient in their native language but struggle to communicate in English. —Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024

Hall of Fame Another year, another Naismith Hall of Fame induction class without Fisher. —Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Apr. 2024

Later this year, Sanks plans to work with students in his dual-credit class on a project in which they’ll be required to use AI to complete the work. —Silas Allen, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Mar. 2024

Along with simply having more female students in his class, McCoy said the girls take advantage of the program and focus on the details and artistry of welding while building sustainable skills for a career. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 27 Mar. 2024

It’s got a gorgeous interior unlike anything else in the class and a pair of solid drivetrains. —Kyle Hyatt, Robb Report, 27 Mar. 2024

Verb

There are many highlights, including Swifty’s around the pool (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), Tracy Anderson classes on-site, and the new Goop Villa, designed in partnership with New York design firm, Ronan Lev. —Amy Louise Bailey, Vogue, 2 Apr. 2024

This lack of clarity can be a common obstacle between artist and audience when musicians class a project as being particularly vulnerable, as SiR has with this one. —Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 26 Mar. 2024

By learning to breathe on his own, Mr. Alexander was able to live outside the iron lung for hours at a time, and students from his dorm would take him to class in wheelchair, according to the Alcalde. —Jesus Jiménez, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024

This year, 193 restaurants in 24 states will be taking reservations, offering special menu items, dimming the lights and classing up their Formica tables with candles and white tablecloths. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 18 Jan. 2024

Courts siding with Deliveroo In November, the U.K.’s Supreme Court ruled that gig workers shouldn’t be classed as employed. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 14 Mar. 2024

Having a larger point, a useful meaning, helps class up what could otherwise look like oversharing. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2024

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

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

Phrases Containing class

• airman first class
• at the bottom of one's/the class
• cabin class
• at the top of one's/the class
• business class
• class act
• class action
• class interval
• class-conscious
• class reunion
• form class
• first class
• equivalence class
• leisure class
• low-class
• high-class
• middle class
• petty officer second class
• master class
• petty officer first class
• petty officer third class
• private first class
• reception class
• residue class
• second class
• second-class citizen
• social class
• the working class
• upper class
• word class
• working class
• tourist class
• third class
• sergeant first class
• the class clown
• inter-class
• evening class
• lower class
• world-class

Kids Definition

class

1 of 2 noun

ˈklas 

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

: classify

Medical Definition

class

noun

ˈklas 

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

d

: protected class

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