classified
Americanadjective
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arranged or distributed in classes or according to class.
We plan to review all the classified specimens in the laboratory.
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designating the part or parts of a publication that contain advertisements or lists arranged by category.
The classified section of our little local newspaper is full of ads for garage sales and cleaning ladies.
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(of information, a document, etc.)
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available only to authorized persons.
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bearing the designation classified.
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confidential or secret.
The firm's promotional budget for next year is classified information.
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identified as belonging to a specific group or category, as one to which benefits or restrictions apply.
Classified buildings are eligible for state-funded restoration. The bank has a list of classified customers to whom it will not make large loans.
noun
adjective
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arranged according to some system of classification
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government (of information) not available to people outside a restricted group, esp for reasons of national security
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(of information) closely concealed or secret
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(of advertisements in newspapers, etc) arranged according to type
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(of newspapers) containing sports results, esp football results
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(of British roads) having a number in the national road system. If the number is preceded by an M the road is a motorway, if by an A it is a first-class road, and if by a B it is a secondary road
Usage
What does classified mean? Classified means categorized or labeled in some way.Classified has several different meanings that all have to do with things being sorted in a certain way. It is commonly used to mean secret or confidential, as in that information is classified.Example: The agency keeps a list of people who have been classified as security risks.
Other Word Forms
- nonclassified adjective
- superclassified adjective
- well-classified adjective
Etymology
Origin of classified
First recorded in 1885–90; 1940–45 classified for def. 3; classify + -ed 2
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.
Pakistan is classified as a lower-middle-income country, with roughly 25 percent of its 240 million population living in poverty, as per World Bank data.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
Based on its features, scientists classified it as a thescelosaurid, a group of two-legged dinosaurs found in East Asia and North America that may have had fuzzy coverings.
From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026
On average, the four funds classified about 19% of their investments as software, while the Journal found their average software exposure to be about 25%.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
The group claimed Patel’s entire personal email was available for public download, allegedly including confidential and classified information.
From Salon • Mar. 27, 2026
They had asked if she knew anything about a classified report her ex-husband may have been copying.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
