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Synonyms

classification

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

noun

  1. the act of classifying.

  2. the result of classifying or being classified. classify.

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

  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.


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

"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

classification Scientific  
/ klăs′ə-fĭ-kāshən /
  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


Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of classification

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He competed in the Tour de France eight times, with his best finish being fourth in the general classification in 2023, when his brother Adam was third with UAE Team Emirates.

From BBC

"There is no structured market awareness, no government classification, and no standard pricing mechanism, making farmers uncertain about returns."

From BBC

Despite its significance, no team had publicly challenged its species classification since its debut in 2017 until now.

From Science Daily

They aim to protect themselves from legal classification as a gang.

From Salon

To determine whether a pharmacy service was mail order, in-person or another type, the analysis used the classification listed in the record of each prescription.

From The Wall Street Journal