classified

1 of 2

adjective

clas·​si·​fied ˈkla-sə-ˌfīd 

1

: divided into classes or placed in a class

classified ads

2

: withheld from general circulation for reasons of national security

classified information

classified

2 of 2

noun

: an advertisement grouped with others according to subject

—usually used in plural

Examples of classified in a Sentence

Adjective

The part of the report that includes classified information was removed before the report was made public.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The month The Atlantic posted its firsthand account of administration officials sending classified communiqués, its entire website got 30 million visits. —Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026

Public leaders, frustrated parents, exhausted classified employees and concerned students are calling for districts to cede to union demands, putting an end to the strikes. —Jennah Pendleton, Sacbee.com, 11 Mar. 2026

Noun

Where Spin and Rolling Stone would run reviews toward the back, by the classifieds, the Pitchfork team knew that a new album could still be an event, as was the case on October 2, 2000, with Radiohead’s Kid A (10.0). —Literary Hub, 6 Mar. 2026

From the beginning, CoStar's plan to build a dominant online classifieds business in the U.S. RRE industry was deeply flawed. —Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for classified

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide
• certified

Kids Definition

classified

1 of 2 adjective

clas·​si·​fied ˈklas-ə-ˌfīd 

1

: divided into classes or placed in a class

classified ads

2

: withheld from the knowledge of the general public for reasons of national security

classified information

classified

2 of 2 noun

: an advertisement grouped with others of the same kind

—usually used in plural