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

With a mass comparable to or greater than Jupiter's, it resembles a planet in size and composition, yet its orbital relationship with the brown dwarf makes it a candidate for an entirely different classification.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 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 recall classification was updated this month to Class ll — meaning exposure to the product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

A standalone classification could force investment funds tracking the MSCI's emerging market indexes to sell Indonesian holdings.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Instruments all over the world can be grouped into five categories based on the Sachs-Hornbostel instrument classification system.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

The Pentagon this year condensed more than 200 religious affiliation codes to 31, initially eliminating specific classifications for atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans, among others.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

The "failure was one of communication, not application", he said, adding that the ministry was working hard to search through documents across multiple IT systems and classifications at "huge expense".

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

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

Specimens preserved for decades or even centuries can give researchers a way to revisit old classifications, compare physical traits, and resolve questions that earlier scientists could not answer.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 5, 2026

Based on those classifications, millions of people were uprooted and relocated.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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