classified

American  

[klas-uh-fahyd] / ˈklæs əˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. arranged or distributed in classes or according to class.

   We plan to review all the classified specimens in the laboratory.

2. 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.

3. (of information, a document, etc.)

   1. available only to authorized persons.

   2. bearing the designation classified.

4. confidential or secret.

   The firm's promotional budget for next year is classified information.

5. 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.

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noun

1. classified ad.

classified British  

/ ˈklæsɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. arranged according to some system of classification

2. government (of information) not available to people outside a restricted group, esp for reasons of national security

3. (of information) closely concealed or secret

4. (of advertisements in newspapers, etc) arranged according to type

5. (of newspapers) containing sports results, esp football results

6. (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

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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

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

Here, Washington is targeting China, which despite its economic heft is classified as a developing country at the WTO.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

But those rules are less clear-cut if workers are classified as employees, as employers often automatically own the copyright to their workers’ products.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

Max Frankel asked the group to consider the risks of publishing classified documents in a time of war.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• confidential
• restricted