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• class
  class

  noun

  a number of persons or things regarded as forming a group by reason of common attributes, characteristics, qualities, or traits; kind; sort.
• class.
  class.

  abbreviation

  classic.

class

¹ American  

[klas, klahs] / klæs, klɑs /

noun

• classes
  plural

1. a number of persons or things regarded as forming a group by reason of common attributes, characteristics, qualities, or traits; kind; sort.

   a class of objects used in daily living.

2. a group of students meeting regularly to study a subject under the guidance of a teacher.

   The class had arrived on time for the lecture.

3. the period during which a group of students meets for instruction.

4. a meeting of a group of students for instruction.

5. a classroom.

6. a number of pupils in a school, or of students in a college, pursuing the same studies, ranked together, or graduated in the same year.

   She graduated from Ohio State, class of '72.

7. a social stratum sharing basic economic, political, or cultural characteristics, and having the same social position.

   Artisans form a distinct class in some societies.

8. the system of dividing society; caste.

9. social rank, especially high rank.

10. the members of a given group in society, regarded as a single entity.

11. any division of persons or things according to rank or grade.

    Hotels were listed by class, with the most luxurious ones listed first.

12. excellence; exceptional merit.

    She's a good performer, but she lacks class.

13. Hinduism. any of the four social divisions, the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Shudra, of Hindu society; varna.

14. Informal. elegance, grace, or dignity, as in dress and behavior.

    He may be a slob, but his brother has real class.

15. any of several grades of accommodations available on ships, airplanes, and the like.

    We bought tickets for first class.

16. Informal. the best or among the best of its kind.

    This new plane is the class of the wide-bodied airliners.

17. Biology. the usual major subdivision of a phylum or division in the classification of organisms, usually consisting of several orders.

18. British University. any of three groups into which candidates for honors degrees are divided according to merit on the basis of final examinations.

19. drafted or conscripted soldiers, or persons available for draft or conscription, all of whom were born in the same year.

20. Grammar. form class.

21. Ecclesiastical. classis.

22. (in early Methodism) one of several small companies, each composed of about 12 members under a leader, into which each society or congregation was divided.

23. Statistics. a group of measurements that fall within a specified interval.

24. Mathematics. a set; a collection.

25. the classes, the higher ranks of society, as distinguished from the masses.

26. Computer Science. a programming construct that defines the attributes and methods shared by a set of objects.

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adjective

1. Informal. of high quality, integrity, status, or style.

   class players on a mediocre team.

verb (used with object)

• classes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• classed,
  past participle,  past
• classing
  present participle

1. to place or arrange in a class; classify.

   to class justice with wisdom.

   Synonyms:

   rate, rank, type, categorize, group

verb (used without object)

• classes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• classed,
  past participle,  past
• classing
  present participle

1. to take or have a place in a particular class.

   those who class as believers.

verb phrase

1. class up to improve the quality, tone, or status of; add elegance, dignity, style, etc., to.

   The new carpet and curtains really class up this room.

class. ² American  

abbreviation

1. classic.

2. classical.

3. classification.

4. classified.

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class British  

/ klɑːs /

noun

1. a collection or division of people or things sharing a common characteristic, attribute, quality, or property

2. a group of persons sharing a similar social position and certain economic, political, and cultural characteristics

3. (in Marxist theory) a group of persons sharing the same relationship to the means of production

4. 1. the pattern of divisions that exist within a society on the basis of rank, economic status, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      the class struggle

      class distinctions

5. 1. a group of pupils or students who are taught and study together

   2. a meeting of a group of students for tuition

6. a group of students who graduated in a specified year

   the class of '53

7. (in combination and as modifier) a grade of attainment in a university honours degree

   second-class honours

8. one of several standards of accommodation in public transport See also first class second class third class

9. 1. informal excellence or elegance, esp in dress, design, or behaviour

      that girl's got class

   2. ( as modifier )

      a class act

10. 1. outstanding speed and stamina in a racehorse

    2. ( as modifier )

       the class horse in the race

11. biology any of the taxonomic groups into which a phylum is divided and which contains one or more orders. Amphibia, Reptilia, and Mammalia are three classes of phylum Chordata

12. maths logic

    1. another name for set 2

    2. a class which cannot itself be a member of other classes

13. unequalled; unparalleled

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verb

1. to have or assign a place within a group, grade, or class

class Scientific  

/ klăs /

1. A taxonomic category of organisms ranking above an order and below a phylum or division. In modern taxonomic schemes, the names of classes end in –phyceae for the various groups of algae, –mycetes for fungi, and –opsida for plants (as in Liliopsida, the class of plants also termed monocotyledons). The names of classes belonging to phyla of the animal kingdom, however, are formed in various ways, as Osteichthyes the bony fishes, Aves, the birds, and Mammalia, the mammals, all of which are classes belonging to the subphylum Vertebrata (the vertebrates) in the phylum Chordata.

2. See Table at taxonomy

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class ¹ Cultural  

1. In biology, the classification beneath a phylum and above an order. (See Linnean classification.)

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class ² Cultural  

1. A group of people sharing the same social, economic, or occupational status. The term class usually implies a social and economic hierarchy, in which those of higher class standing have greater status, privilege, prestige, and authority. Western societies have traditionally been divided into three classes: the upper or leisure class, the middle class (bourgeoisie), and the lower or working class. For Marxists, the significant classes are the bourgeoisie and the proletariat (see also proletariat).

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class Idioms  

1. see cut class.

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Grammar

See collective noun.

Discover More

Mammals, reptiles, and insects are classes.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• classer
  noun
• misclass
  verb
• reclass
  verb (used with object)
• classable
  adjective
• unclassable
  adjective
• unclassed
  adjective
• well-classed
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• classes
  plural

Participles

• classing
  present
• classed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• class
  simple
• classes
  simple
• have classed
  perfect
• has classed
  perfect
• am classing
  progressive
• are classing
  progressive
• is classing
  progressive
• have been classing
  perfect progressive
• has been classing
  perfect progressive

Past

• classed
  simple
• had classed
  perfect
• was classing
  progressive
• were classing
  progressive
• had been classing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will class
  simple
• will have classed
  perfect
• will be classing
  progressive
• will have been classing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of class

First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier classis, plural classes, from Latin: “class, division, fleet, army”; singular class back formation from plural

Explanation

If you attend school, you probably have a favorite class — a series of lectures or discussions where you can learn about a particular subject, like English, math, or economics. The characteristic of being high quality or displaying elegance is also called class. Your snobby friend might glance around your favorite diner and say, "Let's go somewhere else. This place has no class." In society, class refers to a ranking system based on socio-economics, birth, education level, or a combination of those things. Your ancestors might have been working class, until your grandfather struck it rich.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

class class. classes classed classing

A 3-1 victory is a pleasing result, but given the gulf in class, Wiegman admitted frustrations at not keeping a clean sheet.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

It is the only elite class of motorsport where women frequently beat men to major titles.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

And by definition, the committees will always be the last on an emerging asset class, because ultimately they need to see it become more mainstream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Those findings can now be used by class members who weren’t named plaintiffs and may pursue their own lawsuits, the settlement says.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Everything was a blur during the rest of gym class.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

“I loved having her in class. It’s a tragic loss.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 29, 2025

"Lack of class. But it's not United, it's the people, you know?" said Guardiola.

From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2025

He adds: “There was a time when having a high school diploma was the only ticket needed to the middle class. But today that’s harder to do.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2024

“It’s all critical thinking in my class. Engaging, debates, things like that,” he said.

From Slate ● May 30, 2024

“Yes, baby, we can. But only if you’re quiet while I have my class. No running around the halls, and you have to listen to Mila.”

From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee

"I got really into boxing and went to a load of boxing classes and still going," she said.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

This slight adjustment, suggested by Ken Tropin, chairman of the firm which he founded in 1994, had a positive contribution in a few asset classes.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

At Sunrise’s two Manhattan locations, for example, residents can take classes and attend performances by Juilliard students, work with visiting artists in dedicated art studios, and attend Broadway shows with backstage discussions, Callison said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

By 1948, she was taking classes at the Actors Studio in New York and met Jeffrey Hayden, who went on to have a lengthy career as a TV director.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

Though the schools were segregated, sometimes Colored and White children would play together after classes let out, as they had when we’d lived back at Dutch Run.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act, a fifth of Wales is classed as "access land" including areas where land owners have agreed the public have a right of entry on foot.

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

The November supermoon is also the first of a run of four full Moons which can be classed as supermoons, running through to February 2027.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

The crossing is classed as a "user-worked crossing with miniature stop lights" and has a risk rating of B4, which Network Rail categorises as having a "high individual risk" and a "very high collective risk".

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

GP Paul Evans works in Gateshead, an area he says has a "massive", longstanding problem with weight, and where more than a third of adults are classed as obese, external.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

A journey to the upstairs lavatory automatically classed you as a diarrhoea victim, and a dose of thick white liquid would immediately be forced down your throat by the Matron.

From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl

The locations, especially as photographed here by cinematographer Leo Zhang, make for a crafty way of classing up a low-budget feature.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026

Until two years ago, she was juggling evening acting classing and auditions with a steady office day job.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2023

Defence barrister David Emanuel QC said classing the deceit as rape was "taking it too far".

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2020

Even though they're a sturdy, workman's shoe, they have a knack for quickly classing up any golf outfit, pairing just as well with casual shorts as they do with high-end trousers.

From Golf Digest ● Sep. 12, 2017

And with the mosses come the lichens, those curious grey and greenish oddities which no one but a botanist would think of classing among plants.

From Through Magic Glasses and Other Lectures A Sequel to The Fairyland of Science by Arabella B. Buckley

Related Words

• collection
• degree
• department
• division
• family
• grade
• league
• rank
• school
• style