taxonomy

noun

tax·​on·​o·​my tak-ˈsä-nə-mē 

1

: the study of the general principles of scientific classification : systematics

2

: classification

especially : orderly classification of plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships

taxonomic

ˌtak-sə-ˈnä-mik 

adjective

or less commonly taxonomical

ˌtak-sə-ˈnä-mi-kəl 

taxonomically

ˌtak-sə-ˈnä-mi-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

taxonomist

tak-ˈsä-nə-mist 

noun

Examples of taxonomy in a Sentence

the taxonomies of various plant groups

Recent Examples on the Web

Most of that gain came from months of work building a structured taxonomy for clause types, so the system had a consistent target to extract into. — Eshaan Jain, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Before Darwin, much biological observation was done according to a taxonomy created by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, which organized species according to the hierarchical order in which they had been created by God. — Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026

The move blends pop stardom with taxonomy to spotlight the diversity of insects. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

The linguistic taxonomy is coeval with a broader demographic shift. — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French taxonomie, from Greek táxis "arrangement, order" + French -o- -o- + -nomie -nomy — more at taxis entry 1

Note: French taxonomie was a coinage of the Geneva-born botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1778-1841), in Théorie élémentaire de la botanique (Paris, 1813). Candolle divided botany into three divisions (p. 19): "… elle se compose 1.^o de la Glossologie, c'est-à-dire, de la connaissance des termes par lesquels on designe les organes des plantes et leurs diverses modification; 2.^o de la Taxonomie [footnote: "Mot formé de ταξις ordre, et νόμος loi, règle."], ou de la Théorie des classifications appliquée au règne végétal; 3.^o de la Phytographie, ou de l'art de décrire les plantes de la manière la plus utile aux progrès de la science …" ("… it is composed of 1.^o Glossology, that is, the recognition of the terms by which the organs of plants are designated, and their various modifications; ; 2.^o Taxonomy [footnote: "Word formed from táxis order, and nómos law, rule."], or the theory of classifications applied to the vegetable kingdom; 3.^o Phytography, or the art of describing plants in the manner most suited to the progress of science"). A more correct compounding form in terms of Greek word formation would have been taxi- (as táxis is an i-stem), and taxinomy did in fact see some use in the 19th century—though Candolle's original coinage has predominated. His parallel introductions, glossology and phytography, have rarely been employed.

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing taxonomy

• numerical taxonomy

Rhymes for taxonomy

• aeronomy
• agronomy
• astronomy
• autonomy
• economy
• gastronomy
• metonymy
• deuteronomy

Kids Definition

taxonomy

noun

tax·​on·​o·​my tak-ˈsän-ə-mē 

1

: the study of scientific classification

2

: classification sense 2a

especially : orderly classification of living things according to their presumed natural relationships

taxonomic

ˌtak-sə-ˈnäm-ik 

adjective

Medical Definition

taxonomy

noun

tax·​on·​o·​my tak-ˈsän-ə-mē 

plural taxonomies

1

: the study of the general principles of scientific classification : systematics

2

: orderly classification of plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships