classify

verb clas·si·fy \ ˈkla-sə-ˌfī \

Definition of classify

classified; classifying

transitive verb

1 :to arrange in classes (see ¹class 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.

—

classifiable

play \ˌkla-sə-ˈfī-ə-bəl\ adjective

See classify defined for English-language learners

See classify defined for kids

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 of classify from the Web

Though deputy national security adviser for strategy Dina Powell denied the story was classified, Trump himself confirmed the reveal and defended the move on Twitter.

— emma sarran webster, Teen Vogue, "Donald Trump and Russia: The Timeline," 14 Aug. 2017
However, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Tatum introduced the autopsy report, which classified the death as a homicide.

— tony rizzo, kansascity, "Trial set for man accused in KCK shooting death of woman whose sister was murdered," 28 July 2017
Shanghai moved quickly to classify its SOEs as either commercial (eg, SAIC Motor) or in public service (eg, Shanghai Metro).

— The Economist, "Reform of China’s ailing state-owned firms is emboldening them," 20 July 2017
Europe has banned many phthalates from use in plastics that come into contact with fatty foods, including baby food, but the FDA allows the use of many phthalates in such materials and classifies them as indirect food additives.

— roni caryn rabin, The Seattle Times, "What’s in your child’s mac and cheese? Toxic chemicals, a new study says," 13 July 2017
The U.S. still takes a dim view of those minting their own currency and classifies bitcoin as a commodity, which makes its day-to-day use cumbersome.

— sonia zhuravlyova, MSNBC Newsweek, "The Future of Money: Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrency Technologies Are a Way of Life in This Small Swiss Town," 11 July 2017
This is still how polls classify people, placing them on a neat spectrum from ‘‘extremely conservative’’ to ‘‘extremely liberal.’’

— nikil saval, New York Times, "Hated by the Right. Mocked by the Left. Who Wants to Be ‘Liberal’ Anymore?," 5 July 2017
Certain specifics must always stay classified for national security reasons but should be classified only when absolutely necessary.

— robert burns, The Seattle Times, "AP Exclusive: US tightens security on nuclear inspections," 4 July 2017
Usually, intelligence gathered by the U.S. and its allies is classified, and, if released, national security agencies are informed.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "White House Accuses Syria of Preparing Another Chemical Attack, Confusing Military Officials," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'classify.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of classify

see ¹class

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1776

See Words from the same year

classify Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Antonyms

derange, disarrange, disarray, disorder, mess (up), muss (up), rumple, upset

Related Words

array, dispose, draw up, marshal (also marshall), order, organize, systematize; alphabetize, catalog (or catalogue), file, index, list, refer; pigeonhole, shelve; identify, recognize; cull, screen, set, sieve, sift, winnow; clump, cluster, colligate; recategorize, reclassify, regroup; subcategorize

Near Antonyms

confuse, disarrange, jumble, lump, mix (up), scramble; misclassify, missort, mistype

CLASSIFY Defined for English Language Learners

classify

verb

Definition of classify for English Language Learners

: to arrange (people or things) into groups based on ways that they are alike
: to consider (someone or something) as belonging to a particular group

CLASSIFY Defined for Kids

classify

verb clas·si·fy \ ˈkla-sə-ˌfī \

Definition of classify for Students

classified; classifying

:to arrange in groups based on similarities

Our librarians classify books by subject.

Medical Dictionary

classify

transitive verb clas·si·fy \ ˈklas-ə-ˌfī \

medical Definition of classify

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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classify

Definition of classify

classifiable

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Examples of classify in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of classify

classify Synonyms

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CLASSIFY Defined for English Language Learners

classify

Definition of classify for English Language Learners

CLASSIFY Defined for Kids

classify

Definition of classify for Students

Medical Dictionary

classify

medical Definition of classify

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