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 Minnetonka Fire Department classified Johnson's death as a line-of-duty death.
—
Ray Campos, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The French philosopher argued that the author is not a true creator but a functional, historical construct designed to classify and limit the meaning of texts.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Viking Libra is classified as a small ship with a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Jay Mitchell wrote the majority opinion in a ruling that classified frozen embryos as people, prompting three of the state's largest IVF treatment providers to halt care out of fear of wrongful death lawsuits when handling embryos.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for classify
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Ray Campos, CBS News, 20 Mar. 2026
The French philosopher argued that the author is not a true creator but a functional, historical construct designed to classify and limit the meaning of texts.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 20 Mar. 2026
Viking Libra is classified as a small ship with a gross tonnage of 54,300 tons.
—Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Jay Mitchell wrote the majority opinion in a ruling that classified frozen embryos as people, prompting three of the state's largest IVF treatment providers to halt care out of fear of wrongful death lawsuits when handling embryos.
—Rachel Scott, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for classify
Cite this Entry
“Classify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classify. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
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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