classification

American  

[klas-uh-fi-kay-shuhn] / ˌklæs ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• classifications
  plural

1. the act of classifying.

2. the result of classifying or being classified.

3. one of the groups or classes into which things may be or have been classified.

4. Biology. the assignment of organisms to groups within a system of categories distinguished by structure, origin, etc. The usual series of categories is phylum (or, especially in botany,division ), class, order, family, genus, species, and variety.

5. the category, as restricted, confidential, secret, or top secret, to which information, a document, etc., is assigned, as by a government or military agency, based on the degree of protection considered necessary to safeguard it from unauthorized use.

6. Library Science. any of various systems for arranging books and other materials, especially according to subject or format.

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classification British  

/ ˌklæsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. systematic placement in categories

2. one of the divisions in a system of classifying

3. biology

   1. the placing of animals and plants in a series of increasingly specialized groups because of similarities in structure, origin, molecular composition, etc, that indicate a common relationship. The major groups are domain or superkingdom, kingdom, phylum (in animals) or division (in plants), class, order, family, genus, and species

   2. the study of the principles and practice of this process; taxonomy

4. government the designation of an item of information as being secret and not available to people outside a restricted group

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classification Scientific  

/ klăs′ə-fĭ-kā′shən /

1. The systematic grouping of organisms according to the structural or evolutionary relationships among them. Organisms are normally classified by observed similarities in their body and cell structure or by evolutionary relationships based on the analysis of sequences of their DNA.

2. See more at cladistics Linnean See Table at taxonomy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misclassification
  noun
• nonclassification
  noun
• overclassification
  noun
• preclassification
  noun
• classificational
  adjective
• classificatory
  adjective
• clasificatorily
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• classifications
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of classification

1780–90; < Latin classi ( s ) class + -fication

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Explanation

Classification is the process of putting something into a category. Classification of all your clothes by color may make it easier for you to put together an outfit, especially if you favor a monochrome look. Classification involves putting things into a class or group according to particular characteristics so it’s easier to make sense of them, whether you’re organizing your shoes, your stock portfolio, or a group of invertebrates. If you’re an international spy, you might know that classification also can mean a government’s system for keeping secrets. If you have a high level of security classification, then you know really top secret stuff.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

classification classifications

The film’s distributor, A24, and “several awards strategists” were hoping to get around the strict classification because “You Can See Everything” is not a traditional documentary, per the outlet.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

When used to identify plastics, pharmaceuticals, coffee, flour, and tea, the spectrometer achieved a 100% classification success rate in the reported tests.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2026

That classification is commonly used to shield a variety of federal records from public release, including those containing personnel information, details about ongoing law enforcement operations and matters protected by attorney-client privilege.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026

The "severe drought" classification was introduced following the 2012 drought and this is the first time it has been implemented.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

He had succeeded in getting a 4-F classification, and I was pleased for him and happy to go.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey

The tech sector, as measured by S&P Global’s industry classifications, now trades at a multiple of 21x forward earnings estimates, down from an October level of 32x, according to Truist.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

The result highlights why extensive observations across multiple radio frequencies are important, since classifications based on a more limited set of radio measurements can produce misleading results.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026

In California, e-bikes and e-motorcycles are divided into different classifications, which limits who can ride them and how.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

But Prof Penny Johnes, a leading water quality scientist at the University of Bristol, told BBC News the true picture was almost certainly worse than the classifications suggested.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

While thumbing toward the Bible section, I came across a list of phobias arranged into various classifications.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

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