subclass

[ suhb-klas, -klahs ]
See synonyms for subclass on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a primary division of a class.

  2. a subordinate class, especially one of persons who lack the rights and privileges of the primary class: a subclass of migrant workers.

  1. Biology. a category of related orders within a class.

verb (used with object)
  1. to place in a subclass.

Origin of subclass

1
First recorded in 1810–20; sub- + class

Words Nearby subclass

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use subclass in a sentence

  • Exhaustive division may be secured by maintaining always a residual or miscellaneous subclass.

    The Classification of Patents | United States Patent Office

British Dictionary definitions for subclass

subclass

/ (ˈsʌbˌklɑːs) /


noun
  1. a principal subdivision of a class

  2. biology a taxonomic group that is a subdivision of a class

  1. maths another name for subset (def. 1)

verb
  1. (tr) to assign to a subclass

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for subclass

subclass

[ sŭbklăs′ ]


  1. A taxonomic category of related organisms ranking below a class and containing one or more orders.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.