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

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

Posing as recruiters on the online professional networking platform, Chinese spies would initially request paid reports before later soliciting non-public or even classified information.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 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

Although the species are only now being officially classified, they have been seen before.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

That night, CIA agent David Rolph—the agent who had run Adolf Tolkachev in Moscow—sent a classified cable to CIA headquarters describing the fall of the Berlin Wall.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

Related Words

• confidential
• restricted