reclassify

verb

re·​clas·​si·​fy (ˌ)rē-ˈkla-sə-ˌfī 

reclassified; reclassifying; reclassifies

transitive verb

: to move from one class, classification, or category to another : to classify again

… in the 1980s, amphetamines were reclassified as controlled substances, which restricted their availability.

—Stephen Rae

reclassify the product to boost sales

Examples of reclassify in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To be sure, some of this drop—perhaps a third—can be attributed to technical factors, including shifts in tax policy that have encouraged businesses to reclassify some labor income as capital income. — John Cassidy, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Earlier this summer, a panel that advises the Food and Drug Administration recommended the government reclassify half a dozen of these peptides. — Will Stone, NPR, 7 Sep. 2026

The administration confronts anger over rising costs, reclassified casualties and Brent crude near $95 a barrel, with gas prices and inflation squeezing Americans as Republicans try to protect narrow congressional majorities. — Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026

There is a raging debate in golf right now about former PGA Tour pros reclassifying as amateurs to compete in amateur events. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reclassify

• acidify
• alveoli
• antinomy
• areolae
• demystify
• detoxify
• disqualify
• diversify
• electrify
• exemplify
• fasciculi
• identify