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 World Health Organization classifies it as an occupational phenomenon, and Gallup reports that 44 percent of employees worldwide experience daily stress — the highest on record.
—
Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025
Sabato’s Crystal Ball classifies the race as Safe Democratic.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
The stiffness and thickening observed in cardiac ATTR amyloidosis classify it as a type of restrictive cardiomyopathy (CM), which is why the disease is also referred to as ATTR-CM.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 13 Nov. 2025
Fanny Brice could be classified as one of the harder Broadway roles, but Florence is even more challenging in some ways than Funny Girl because of the style of singing.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for classify
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Elan Gepner-Dales, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2025
Sabato’s Crystal Ball classifies the race as Safe Democratic.
—Andrew Stanton, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
The stiffness and thickening observed in cardiac ATTR amyloidosis classify it as a type of restrictive cardiomyopathy (CM), which is why the disease is also referred to as ATTR-CM.
—Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 13 Nov. 2025
Fanny Brice could be classified as one of the harder Broadway roles, but Florence is even more challenging in some ways than Funny Girl because of the style of singing.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 13 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 22 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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