classify
verb
clas·si·fy
ˈkla-sə-ˌfī 
classified; classifying
1
: to arrange in classes (see class entry 1 sense 3)
classifying books according to subject matter
2
: to consider (someone or something) as belonging to a particular group
The movie is classified as a comedy.
The vehicle is classified as a truck.
Examples of classify in a Sentence
Students will be learning about the ways scientists classify animals.
The online system can classify books by subject.
Recent Examples on the Web
Previous assessments already painted a grim picture, with a third of sharks, rays, and chimaeras classified as threatened with extinction.
—
Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The United States classified Hezbollah as a terror organization after the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025
Additionally, Florida case law and judicial precedents in divorce cases classify embryos as assets, subject to legal distribution.
—Andrew Rader, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2025
Parts of it are formally classified as extreme by German intelligence, and some of its members have been arrested in plotting to overthrow the government or fined for repeating banned Nazi slogans.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for classify
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Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025
The United States classified Hezbollah as a terror organization after the 1983 bombing of the US Marine barracks in Beirut.
—Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 Feb. 2025
Additionally, Florida case law and judicial precedents in divorce cases classify embryos as assets, subject to legal distribution.
—Andrew Rader, Sun Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2025
Parts of it are formally classified as extreme by German intelligence, and some of its members have been arrested in plotting to overthrow the government or fined for repeating banned Nazi slogans.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for classify
Cite this Entry
“Classify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classify. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
classify
verb
clas·si·fy
ˈklas-ə-ˌfī
classified; classifying
: to arrange in or assign to classes
classify books by subjects
classifier
noun
-ˌfī(-ə)r
Medical Definition
classify
transitive verb
clas·si·fy
ˈklas-ə-ˌfī
classified; classifying
: to arrange in classes that have systematic relations usually founded on common properties
how would you classify these animals
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