reclassify
Americanverb (used with object)
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to classify anew.
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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:
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
It is common for BDCs to restructure their investments then reclassify them as performing before returning them to nonperforming.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
The "official measure to reclassify Rodong Sinmun as general material will be implemented early next week through necessary administrative procedures", the government statement added.
From Barron's ● Dec. 26, 2025
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 Phillips, Chester Arthur
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
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
This one reclassifies: One person’s pack rat is another’s collector.
From New York Times ● May 17, 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
The 6-1, 170-pound pitcher/outfielder reclassified in February to make himself eligible for next month’s Major League draft and is a potential first-round pick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
Another unpopular law -- since thrown out -- reclassified small agricultural holdings as medium-sized properties, which Indigenous communities viewed as a loss of their rights.
From Barron's ● May 21, 2026
Their role as analysts had been reclassified to the same level as senior managers, meaning they were no longer eligible for overtime pay, those people said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 5, 2026
Total confirmed or suspected cases have dropped from 34 on Saturday to 29, with some initially confirmed cases being reclassified following tests.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
Powers that defied explanation, mental talents so freakish, doctors and scientists reclassified our entire generation as Psi.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
The FDA’s own scientists have already recommended against reclassifying these peptides.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
By reclassifying the country’s Orinoco Belt heavy oil as “proved,” Venezuela’s reserves jumped sharply in the late 2000s under former president Hugo Chavez.
From Barron's ● Jan. 6, 2026
Moody’s Ratings and S&P Global Ratings have edged closer to reclassifying the company’s bonds as junk debt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 20, 2025
A consultation on new guidance will also look at portion sizes, a maximum and minimum recommended amount of red meat, reclassifying fruit juice as "not a piece of fruit", as well as banning fizzy drinks.
From BBC ● May 19, 2025
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
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.
