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
The move couldn't be classified as a surprise, given reports earlier this week that the Rangers were looking to trade García (and fellow 2023 All-Star Jonah Heim).
—
Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025
This data can even help researchers classify and differentiate cultivars, assisting breeders in selecting diverse parent plants early in development without extensive phenotyping.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 21 Nov. 2025
And federal health agencies will receive data only on cancer patients classified that way.
—Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
The research was conducted by an international team of 43 public health and nutrition experts led by Carlos Monteiro, a Brazilian epidemiologist and professor at the University of São Paulo who developed the NOVA system, which classifies foods by how heavily they are processed.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for classify
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Jackson Roberts, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Nov. 2025
This data can even help researchers classify and differentiate cultivars, assisting breeders in selecting diverse parent plants early in development without extensive phenotyping.
—Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 21 Nov. 2025
And federal health agencies will receive data only on cancer patients classified that way.
—Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
The research was conducted by an international team of 43 public health and nutrition experts led by Carlos Monteiro, a Brazilian epidemiologist and professor at the University of São Paulo who developed the NOVA system, which classifies foods by how heavily they are processed.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 20 Nov. 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 25 Nov. 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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