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
Of its roughly 82,000 employees, about 52,000 work in support roles, while the remainder are classified as part of its business workforce.
—
Justina Lee, CNBC, 19 May 2026
As a result, almost 60 percent of the country was classified as being in drought conditions on March 31, up from 55 percent at the beginning of the month.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
According to the team, the project will also classify common laboratory tasks based on their complexity and precision requirements.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
More on the wolf making headlines While BEY03F is classified as a gray wolf, photos show her coat appears blackish-gray.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for classify
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Justina Lee, CNBC, 19 May 2026
As a result, almost 60 percent of the country was classified as being in drought conditions on March 31, up from 55 percent at the beginning of the month.
—Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 19 May 2026
According to the team, the project will also classify common laboratory tasks based on their complexity and precision requirements.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 May 2026
More on the wolf making headlines While BEY03F is classified as a gray wolf, photos show her coat appears blackish-gray.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for classify
Cite this Entry
“Classify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/classify. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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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