word class

Save This Word!

noun Grammar.

a group of words all of which are members of the same form class or part of speech.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of word class

First recorded in 1920–25

Words nearby word class

word-blind, word blindness, wordbook, wordbreak, word burst, word class, word deafness, Worde, word for word, word game, word-hoard

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use word class in a sentence

Then comes the chance to form a bird class, or a bird party, if the word class seems too formidable.
Bird Lore, Volume I--1899|Various
The word class has been used, but perhaps improperly, for classification is almost impossible.
A Short History of French Literature|George Saintsbury
When I'm in the twenty-cents-a-word class I'll write once a month, and spend the rest of my time travelling.'
The Man Upstairs|P. G. Wodehouse
I have not used the word class-conscious, because it is more than the consciousness of an economic group.
Socialism and Democracy in Europe|Samuel P. Orth

Around this draw a larger circle in which you write the word class.
Public Speaking|Clarence Stratton

British Dictionary definitions for word class

word class

noun

linguistics a form class in which the members are wordsSee part of speech

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012