classify
verb
clas·si·fy
ˈkla-sə-ˌfī 
classified; classifying
1
: to arrange in classes (see class entry 1 sense 3)
classifying books according to subject matter
2
: to consider (someone or something) as belonging to a particular group
The movie is classified as a comedy.
The vehicle is classified as a truck.
Examples of classify in a Sentence
Students will be learning about the ways scientists classify animals.
The online system can classify books by subject.
Recent Examples on the Web
More than 71% of the students are emergent bilingual and 17% are classified as immigrants, according to TEA data.
—
Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
This year, Jim Bowden classifies 14 clubs as buyers, eight as sellers and eight as on the fence.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
The company classified the fix and vulnerability as Priority 1 and Severity 1, a clear indication that the company recognized the potentially dire consequences had the vulnerability been exploited maliciously in the wild.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2025
The Pentagon classified the cost of the renovations, according to the Times, but a recent $934 million transfer from the budget for a notoriously costly nuclear missile program to an unnamed classified project has raised eyebrows.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for classify
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Keri Heath, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
This year, Jim Bowden classifies 14 clubs as buyers, eight as sellers and eight as on the fence.
—Alex Kirshner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
The company classified the fix and vulnerability as Priority 1 and Severity 1, a clear indication that the company recognized the potentially dire consequences had the vulnerability been exploited maliciously in the wild.
—Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 30 July 2025
The Pentagon classified the cost of the renovations, according to the Times, but a recent $934 million transfer from the budget for a notoriously costly nuclear missile program to an unnamed classified project has raised eyebrows.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for classify
Cite this Entry
“Classify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classify. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
classify
verb
clas·si·fy
ˈklas-ə-ˌfī
classified; classifying
: to arrange in or assign to classes
classify books by subjects
classifier
noun
-ˌfī(-ə)r
Medical Definition
classify
transitive verb
clas·si·fy
ˈklas-ə-ˌfī
classified; classifying
: to arrange in classes that have systematic relations usually founded on common properties
how would you classify these animals
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