classify

verb

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clas·si·fy | \ ˈkla-sə-ˌfī

classified; classifying

Definition of classify

transitive verb

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.

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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 Under that test, some types of property would have been difficult to classify as real property or machinery. — Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, "There’s Lots To Like In The Like-Kind Exchange Tax Regs," 26 Feb. 2021 The change is happening in only one state, and it’s an incremental reform in Oregon’s past policy, which was to classify all such offenses as misdemeanors. — Steve Chapman, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Oregon makes the case for decriminalizing hard drugs," 9 Dec. 2020 One approach may be to classify churches as essential and to assign all essential activities a capacity limit that takes establishment size into account. — The Editors, National Review, "The Supreme Court Got Church Restrictions Right," 29 Nov. 2020 Last July, Attorney General Maura Healey initiated an ongoing lawsuit against Lyft and Uber in an attempt to force the companies to classify their drivers as employees. — Nick Martin, The New Republic, "The Exciting New Trick That Converts Good Jobs Into Crappy Gig Work," 6 Jan. 2021 Shares of Uber were on the upswing this week after California voters approved Proposition 22, which allows the company to classify drivers as independent contractors, not employees. — Chronicle Staff, SFChronicle.com, "Coronavirus news from the Bay Area: Oct. 30-Nov. 5," 6 Nov. 2020 The bill was originally intended to encourage gig workers to unionize by requiring ridesharing companies such as Uber and Lyft to classify their drivers as employees, not independent contractors. — Ryan Young, National Review, "Free-Market Victories down the Ballot," 5 Nov. 2020 California will not require Uber and other gig platforms to classify drivers as employees, which would have required them to provide benefits and a minimum wage. — Chika Dunga, Quartz, "The gig economy gets a boost from the US election," 5 Nov. 2020 California voters approved a ballot measure, the country’s most expensive ever, that will allow companies like Uber to classify drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, according to the New York Times. — Nihal Krishan, Washington Examiner, "Major liberal ballot measures fail in California," 4 Nov. 2020

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.