1. Arrange or identify things according to a system of categories based on selected characteristics.
2. Designate information as confidential or subject to restricted access under an official security system.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- classify responses
- classify a substance
On the page
The analysts classified responses by stated reason rather than by the respondents’ age.
Two laboratories classified the same sample differently because they used different criteria.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- classify
- Past tense
- classified
- Past participle
- classified
- Present participle
- classifying
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- classify
- Present continuous
- am/is/are classifying
- Present perfect
- have/has classified
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been classifying
- Past
- classified
- Past continuous
- was/were classifying
- Past perfect
- had classified
- Past perfect continuous
- had been classifying
- Future
- will classify
- Future continuous
- will be classifying
- Future perfect
- will have classified
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been classifying
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: academic / formal. Forms: classify; classifies; classified; classified; classifying Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: classification, analysis. Disciplines: general academic writing. Commonness: common. Third-person singular: classifies.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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