classify

American  

[klas-uh-fahy] / ˈklæs əˌfaɪ /

verb (used with object)

classifies, present (3rd person singular) classified, past participle, past classifying present participle

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

   Synonyms:

   group, categorize, rate, rank, class

2. to assign a classification to (information, a document, etc.).

3. to limit the availability of (information, a document, etc.) to authorized persons.

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classify British  

/ ˈklæsɪˌfaɪ /

verb

1. to arrange or order by classes; categorize

2. government to declare (information, documents, etc) of possible aid to an enemy and therefore not available to people outside a restricted group

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• misclassify
  verb (used with object)
• overclassify
  verb (used with object)
• unclassifiably
  adverb
• unclassifiable
  adjective
• classifier
  noun
• unclassifiableness
  noun
• preclassify
  verb (used with object)
• unclassifying
  adjective
• classifiable
  adjective
• nonclassifiable
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have classified
  perfect
• has classified
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is classifying
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am classifying
  progressive 1st person singular
• classifying
  participle
• has been classifying
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been classifying
  perfect progressive
• classifies
  singular 3rd person
• are classifying
  progressive

Past

• had classified
  perfect
• were classifying
  progressive plural
• had been classifying
  perfect progressive
• was classifying
  progressive singular
• classified
  participle
• classified
  simple

Future

• will classify
  simple
• will have classified
  perfect
• will be classifying
  progressive
• will have been classifying
  perfect progressive

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.”

Example Sentences

Historically, college sports leaders have been loath to classify athletes as employees, but it seems destined for the courts, where they’re on a major losing streak.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 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 initiative, funded by Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and other businesses, allowed gig companies to classify their workers as contractors rather than employees.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Researchers classify Vasuki indicus within the madtsoiidae family, a group of snakes that existed for nearly 100 million years, from the Late Cretaceous to the Late Pleistocene.

From Science Daily • Apr. 29, 2026

As the only state prison for women, Tutwiler has no way to meaningfully classify and assign women to appropriate dorms.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

Related Words

• allocate
• analyze
• arrange
• distribute
• divide
• label
• organize
• segregate