classify

verb clas·si·fy \ ˈkla-sə-ˌfī \

Updated on: 23 May 2018

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

Allen pointed out that very little of Interior’s work is classified.

— evan osnos, The New Yorker, "Trump vs. the “Deep State”," 14 May 2018
Army General John Nicholson, the commander of US forces in Afghanistan, has said the Afghan military data was classified at the request of Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani.

— liz goodwin, BostonGlobe.com, "Decline in Afghan army was hidden by Pentagon secrecy," 12 May 2018
The most successful ad, which yielded 28 clicks, specifically targeted American girls, ages 14 to 17, who Facebook classified as interested in free software and music.

— issie lapowsky, WIRED, "Russia-Linked Facebook Ads Targeted a Sketchy Chrome Extension at Teen Girls," 12 May 2018
McGhee says both charges classify as domestic violence.

— alexia fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Paris Hilton's Ex-Boyfriend and Former The Hills Star Doug Reinhardt Allegedly Assaulted by Wife," 2 May 2018
Co-sponsored by Republican Greg Fox and Democrat Mary Kay Sigaty, the bill ignited debate over what could be classified as industrial-scale mulching and possible health and safety consequences for neighbors.

— kate magill, Columbia Flier, "Changes proposed to controversial Howard mulch operations bill," 24 Apr. 2018
Scientists in Australia have discovered the remains of a mummy in a 2,500-year-old coffin that was previously classified as empty.

— deutsche welle, USA TODAY, "2,500-year-old mummy found in what was thought to be an empty Egyptian coffin," 27 Mar. 2018
The Eagles, en route to a 2-12 district race, never had anything last year that could be classified as a one-run nailbiter but new head coach Josh Bobbitt appears to have already made a dent in Pasadena's losing ways.

— robert avery, Houston Chronicle, "Pasadena drops 1-0 nailbiter at Bulldog Field," 16 Mar. 2018
Basically, a Cinderella weight aims for a body mass index of 18, which is officially classified as underweight on the BMI scale (though it should also be known that the BMI scale is basically scientifically bogus).

— chloe metzger, Marie Claire, "This Disturbing 'Cinderella' Diet Challenge Is Going Viral," 23 Feb. 2018

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.