sort

noun \ ˈsȯrt \

|Updated on: 9 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: sort in a Sentence

Definition of sort

1 a : a group set up on the basis of any characteristic in common : class, kind

b : one approximating the character or qualities of another

a sort of latter-day Abe Lincoln

c : person, individual

he's not a bad sort

2 archaic : group, company

3 a archaic : method or manner of acting : way, manner

b : character, nature

people of an evil sort

4 a : a letter or character that is one element of a font

b : a character or piece of type that is not part of a regular font

5 : an instance of sorting

a numeric sort of a data file

— after a sort

: in a rough or haphazard way

plays the piano, after a sort

— all sorts of

: many different : all kinds of

knows all sorts of people

— of sorts or of a sort

: in some respects but not entirely or truly

a vacation of sorts

— out of sorts

1 : somewhat ill

2 : grouchy, irritable

See sort defined for English-language learners

See sort defined for kids

Examples of sort in a Sentence

What sort of car do you drive?
He's not a bad sort.
She's not the sort to complain.
The program did a numeric sort of the data.

Recent Examples of sort from the Web

And yet the film does have exert a perverse fascination, the same sort that compels drivers to slow down while passing a horrific car accident.

— frank scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Eat Me': Film Review," 5 July 2018
But to the surprise of everyone who expected these issues to boil over at some point, nothing of the sort has happened with the World Cup more than halfway finished.

— andrew beaton, WSJ, "How Russia Gave Itself a Facelift for the World Cup," 4 July 2018
USA TODAY Sports MOSCOW — Gareth Southgate looked to the skies and let out a guttural scream, the sort that was both a sound and a release.

— martin rogers, USA TODAY, "22 years later, the weight of the world is off England's shoulders," 3 July 2018
The songs became a therapy session of sorts for both Gutierrez and Swann and helped them re-establish a newfound sort of camaraderie, survivors of a storm of their own creation.

— joey guerra, Houston Chronicle, "Houston’s Wild Moccasins learn to love again on new album," 3 July 2018
There’s some method to Stanfield’s madness, even if the method is the sort that worries directors.

— Washington Post, "Lakeith Stanfield: An actor at home in the surreal," 3 July 2018
Mecca operates out of a 50,000-square-foot facility that sorts, grades and waxes fruit --- processing activities that health officials said make Mecca eligible for the citrus preference.

— dara kam, Sun-Sentinel.com, "'Citrus preference' spurs medical marijuana license dispute," 3 July 2018
The clothes are the sort that these women consider to be their uniforms.

— brooke bobb, Vogue, "This Is Where All of the Coolest French Girls Get Their Vintage Fashion," 2 July 2018
The election has become a referendum of sorts on widespread government corruption that has drained the economy and hurt the poor.

— andrea rodriguez, Fox News, "Mexicans welcome pre-vote quiet ahead of major election," 30 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sort.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of sort

Middle English, from Anglo-French, fate, lot, characteristic, from Latin sort-, sors lot, share, category — more at series

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

sort Synonyms

Phrases

son of man;

Synonym Discussion of sort

type, kind, sort, nature, description, character mean a number of individuals thought of as a group because of a common quality or qualities. type may suggest strong and clearly marked similarity throughout the items included so that each is typical of the group.

- one of three basic body types

kind may suggest natural grouping.

- a zoo seemingly having animals of every kind

sort often suggests some disparagement.

- the sort of newspaper dealing in sensational stories

nature may imply inherent, essential resemblance rather than obvious or superficial likenesses.

- two problems of a similar nature

description implies a group marked by agreement in all details belonging to a type as described or defined.

- not all acts of that description are actually illegal

character implies a group marked by distinctive likenesses peculiar to the type.

- research on the subject so far has been of an elementary character

sort

verb

Definition of sort

sorted; sorting; sorts

transitive verb

1 a : to put in a certain place or rank according to kind, class, or nature

sort apples

sort mail

b : to arrange according to characteristics : classify —usually used with out

sort out colors

2 chiefly Scotland : to put to rights : put in order

3 a : to examine in order to clarify —used with out

sorting out his problems

b : to free of confusion : clarify —used with out

waited until things sorted themselves out

intransitive verb

1 : to join or associate with others especially of the same kind

sort with thieves

2 : agree, harmonize

his benign view sorts badly with reality
—Henry Trewhitt

3 : search

sort through some old papers

—

sortable

play \ˈsȯr-tə-bəl\ adjective

—

sorter

noun

See sort defined for English-language learners

Examples of sort in a Sentence

She started to sort the mail.
They sorted the winners from the losers.
The program can sort data alphabetically or numerically.

Recent Examples of sort from the Web

Things that seem small in a whirlwind 48-hour period become magnified when observed over a five-day period, and those things become exacerbated when, as mentioned before, there is no processing space or time to sort them out.

— monique judge, The Root, "Why I Had to Stop Seeing Mr. Big After Our 5-Day Date," 25 June 2018
Treating others by social, economic, or political class, even to the point of sorting them into electoral districts by such groupings, only feeds into social fragmentation.

— The Christian Science Monitor, "The high court’s hint on partisan gerrymandering," 18 June 2018
In Russia, linesmen are being instructed to keep their flags down for close offside calls, letting play continue and VAR sort it out later.

— mark zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Your guide to the World Cup you forgot was happening," 13 June 2018
Back in 2015, Grande told Tom Felton — who played Slytherin’s Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies — that she had been sorted into the reptilian house.

— melody chiu, PEOPLE.com, "Gryffindor vs. Slytherin! Pete Davidson Posts New Photo with Ariana Grande and Reveals Their Hogwarts Houses," 30 May 2018
When the doors opened a little before 8AM, the 100 or so spectators sorted themselves into wooden benches, the checkerboard of suits mostly matching the checks of the carpet: navy, charcoal, with a few strips of tan.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "Inside the climate change lawsuit pitting Big Oil against San Francisco and Oakland," 26 May 2018
Its users allege that YY sorts all streamer rankings and advertising based not on general, year-round stats, but on how well each host does during the site's annual 15-day streamer-popularity contest.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "People’s Republic of Desire," 18 Mar. 2018
Even those who supported the proposal conceded that the task force had not fully sorted through how a class system would work.

— julia o'donoghue, NOLA.com, "Simplifying Louisiana's felony sentences faces uphill battle -- again," 31 Jan. 2018
Amid the proliferation, the need to sort useful from pointless, and legal from dubious, has never been greater.

— The Economist, "Hedge funds worry about the legal risks of using “alternative” data," 21 June 2018

First Known Use of sort

14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

sort Synonyms

Synonyms

accord, agree, answer, check, cohere, coincide, comport, conform, consist, correspond, dovetail, fit, go, harmonize, jibe, rhyme (also rime), square, tally;

Antonyms

differ (from), disagree (with);

Near Antonyms

contradict, dispute, gainsay;

negate, nullify;

clash, conflict, jar;

Related Words

equal, match, parallel;

align (also aline), line up, register;

Phrases

fall in with;

SORT Defined for English Language Learners

sort

noun

Definition of sort for English Language Learners

: a group of people or things that have some shared quality : a particular kind or type of person or thing
: a person of a particular type
: the act of separating things and putting them in a particular order : the act of sorting things

sort

verb

Definition of sort for English Language Learners

: to separate and put (people or things) in a particular order
: to deal with (something or someone) in a successful way

SORT Defined for Kids

sort

noun \ ˈsȯrt \

Definition of sort for Students

1 : a group of persons or things that have something in common : kind

all sorts of people

2 : person 1, individual

He was not a bad sort.

3 : general disposition : nature

people of an evil sort

— out of sorts

1 : not feeling well

2 : easily angered : irritable

sort

verb

Definition of sort for Students

sorted; sorting

1 : to separate and arrange according to kind or class

Sort the beads by color.

2 : ¹search 1

He sorted through a stack of papers.

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sort

Definition of sort

Examples of sort in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of sort

sort Synonyms

Synonyms

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Synonym Discussion of sort

sort

Definition of sort

sortable

sorter

Examples of sort in a Sentence

Recent Examples of sort from the Web

First Known Use of sort

sort Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

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SORT Defined for English Language Learners

sort

Definition of sort for English Language Learners

sort

Definition of sort for English Language Learners

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sort

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sort

Definition of sort for Students

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