classify

verb

clas·​si·​fy ˈkla-sə-ˌfī How to pronounce classify (audio)
classified; classifying

transitive verb

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.
classifiable adjective

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 only formats to record a decline in 2023 were digital downloads and what IFPI classifies as other (non-streaming) digital formats, which fell by 2.6% to $900 million, representing just 3.2% of the global market. Richard Smirke, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 About 93,000 students were classified as English learners in the 2021-22 school year, making up about 8.5% of the overall 1.1 million K-12 public school enrollment. Daniel Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024 In 2023, 8% of Kentuckians were classified as disconnected youth. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 20 Mar. 2024 Unlike the law signed in Texas in 2019, which classifies cyberflashing as a Class C misdemeanor with fines of $500, the California measure stops short of labeling cyberflashing a crime. Maham Javaid, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Killing a bear, legally classified as a game mammal, without proper documentation is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year of imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000 or both. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 The city is now leasing the property, which is still classified as a hotel, as part of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s House1000 initiative, FOX31 Denver reported. Stephen Sorace, Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024 Documents marked classified were found in Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, garage and home office. Arden Farhi, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2024 Near the end of his life in 1965, Anderson tied himself to a tree on Horn Island to ride out Hurricane Betsy (which would be classified as a Category 4 storm today). Kayla Michelle Smith, Travel + Leisure, 11 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'classify.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see class entry 1

First Known Use

1776, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of classify was in 1776

Dictionary Entries Near classify

Cite this Entry

“Classify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classify. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

classify

verb
clas·​si·​fy ˈklas-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce classify (audio)
classified; classifying
: to arrange in or assign to classes
classify books by subjects
classifiable adjective
classifier
-ˌfī(-ə)r
noun

Medical Definition

classify

transitive verb
clas·​si·​fy ˈklas-ə-ˌfī How to pronounce classify (audio)
classified; classifying
: to arrange in classes that have systematic relations usually founded on common properties
how would you classify these animals

More from Merriam-Webster on classify

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