Synonyms

classify

American

[klas-uh-fahy] / ˈklæs əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

to arrange or organize by classes; order according to class.

Synonyms:

group, categorize, rate, rank, class
to assign a classification to (information, a document, etc.).
to limit the availability of (information, a document, etc.) to authorized persons.

classify British

/ ˈklæsɪˌfaɪ /

verb

to arrange or order by classes; categorize
government to declare (information, documents, etc) of possible aid to an enemy and therefore 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

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Etymology

Origin of classify

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Latin classi(s) class + -fy

Explanation

Humans seem to have the need to classify things, arranging them into different classes by such unifying traits as size, color, or shape. It’s fine to do this to inanimate objects, but doing it to people can be very wrong. The word classify contains the base word class, which means "category" and comes from the Latin classis, which actually referred to an army or group called to arms. It eventually came to mean "a group," and thus classify means "to group." As a security measure, you can also classify information that is not to be shared. Writer Ambrose Bierce once said, “The small part of ignorance that we arrange and classify we give the name of knowledge.”

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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.

Speaking on state television, she said the group would determine who could return home using a colour-coded traffic light system to classify safety.

From BBC • Jun. 29, 2026

A roller coaster that when it was created in 2000 “demanded an all-new category just to classify its one of a kind nature,” giving rise to the “giga-coaster.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

For the tiny blue octopus, the scans provided clear views of internal organs and mouth structures, allowing scientists to officially classify it as a new species and better understand its relationship to other octopuses.

From Science Daily • May 25, 2026

I was an early adopter of “bop” back when we were still using the word to classify the singular bounciness of Carly Rae Jepsen songs in 2015.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

The analytical part of Emma’s brain wanted her to just keep staring at the Gustanos, to study and classify their every feature and move: Oh, that’s so much like us Greystones, or Hmm.

From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023