reclassify
Americanverb (used with object)
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reclassifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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reclassified,
past participle, past
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reclassifying
present participle
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to classify anew.
-
to change the security classification of (information, a document, etc.).
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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reclassifysimple
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reclassifiessimple
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have reclassifiedperfect
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has reclassifiedperfect
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am reclassifyingprogressive
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are reclassifyingprogressive
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is reclassifyingprogressive
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have been reclassifyingperfect progressive
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has been reclassifyingperfect progressive
Past
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reclassifiedsimple
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had reclassifiedperfect
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was reclassifyingprogressive
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were reclassifyingprogressive
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had been reclassifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reclassify
Explanation
When you reclassify something, you change its category. A bookseller might reclassify a memoir as "fiction" after it's revealed that the author invented most of the people and events in it. Your boss where you work part-time may reclassify you as a full-time worker in the summer, when you have more time for your job. And your school might consider cheerleading to be a club, while some others have decided to reclassify it as a sport. In both cases, something has changed categories. The verb reclassify adds the "again" prefix re- to classify, which means "put into a class or group."
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.
See Examples For:
It would reclassify small SUVs and what are called crossovers, which are SUVs built on carlike chassis, as passenger cars instead of light trucks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
“I do believe that my children would have been able to reclassify much earlier if the law had changed earlier and if I, as a mother, would have educated myself earlier,” Carbajal Salmerón said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
They all stand to benefit from a peptide boom if the Food and Drug Administration decides to reclassify seven peptides, allowing these products to be legally compounded.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Earlier this week the Secretary of State, Hillary Benn, had suggested it could possibly be used for a different energy support scheme if the Treasury agreed to reclassify the money.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
The Board may also reclassify cities as reserve or central reserve cities, or terminate their designation as such.
From Readings in Money and Banking Selected and Adapted by Chester Arthur Phillips
While the reconstitution of the Nasdaq-100 happens only once a year, changes can happen at other times, such as when a current member transfers to another exchange or reclassifies as a financial company.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 13, 2025
That could change if Bates reclassifies into the 2021 class.
From New York Times ● Jul. 30, 2020
After that, Veena Dubal, a law professor at UC–Hastings, talks about worker strikes at Uber and Lyft, and sheds light on a California case that reclassifies most gig workers as employees rather than of contractors.
From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2019
The premise is that Nathan Fielder, a white male Canadian comic, is a gonzo business consultant: he rebrands a Realtor as a “ghost Realtor”; he reclassifies smoke detectors as musical instruments.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 25, 2018
That number might seem high, but it pales in comparison to what might happen when the Oregon School Activities Association reclassifies for the 2018-19 school year.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 14, 2017
ORR does not track these types of cases, so it’s unclear how many children are being reclassified, but Mother Jones estimated they now make up a “huge chunk” of ORR’s caseload.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
Walter’s insurance empire is now facing a federal investigation after Delaware Life and another insurer reclassified about $20 billion of investments as affiliated transactions, meaning they had ties to the companies’ owner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Under the old system, parents were contacted when their child was about to be reclassified.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
S&P Dow Jones Indices has reclassified Poland as a developed economy, which is an upgrade for the country as the data provider had previously rated it as an emerging market.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026
He had fought for South Africa during World War II in North Africa and Italy, but after his return, a white bureaucrat had reclassified him as African.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
It is considering reclassifying Indonesia as a "standalone market", which could force investment funds tracking the MSCI's emerging market indexes to sell Indonesian holdings.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
"Expanding the Homo genus to also include species of Australopithecus and Paranthropus will allow us to account for differences without regularly reclassifying particular groups."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
One of Walter’s firms, Delaware Life, which had earlier reported that affiliated investments totaled about $1 billion, or no more than 3% of its portfolio, said it was reclassifying billions in investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The FDA’s own scientists have already recommended against reclassifying these peptides.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
Part D is intended to inform examiners reclassifying within examining divisions respecting the initial procedure in reforming a class.
From The Classification of Patents by United States Patent Office
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