What does classification mean?
Classification is the process — and often the resulting system — of organizing things into groups based on shared features. It is one of the most fundamental activities of human thought: biologists classify organisms into species and genera, librarians classify books under systems like Dewey or the Library of Congress scheme, and governments classify documents by level of secrecy. The word can refer to the act of sorting itself, to an established framework of categories (a classification system), or to the specific label assigned to an individual item, as in 'its classification is confidential.' Derived from the Latin 'classis,' meaning a class or division, it entered English in the seventeenth century alongside its verb form 'classify.' Classification is a neutral, largely formal word used across science, law, education, and administration. Its usefulness lies in imposing order on diversity: without classification, large bodies of information would be nearly impossible to navigate, compare, or understand.
nounThe action or process of arranging things into groups or categories according to shared characteristics; also, a system of such groupings, or the category to which something is assigned.
- The act, process, or result of arranging things into classes or categories according to shared characteristics.
- A systematic scheme or system of such categories (e.g. a biological taxonomy).
- The category or class to which a particular thing has been assigned (e.g. a security classification).
"The classification of plants by Linnaeus laid the groundwork for modern botany."
"Librarians rely on careful classification so that readers can find any book on the shelves."
"The document was marked with a security classification, limiting who could read it."
The word 'classification' comes from Latin 'classis' — which originally meant a division of the Roman people for military and tax purposes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of classification
Classification derives from the Latin noun 'classis,' meaning a class or division, notably the divisions of Roman citizens established by Servius Tullius. The verb 'classify' was formed in English in the late eighteenth century from 'class,' and the noun 'classification' arose shortly afterward as its action noun. It shares this root with related words such as 'classic' and 'classical,' all tracing back through French and Latin to the same ancient source.
Related word forms
How classification is actually used
Classification is a formal, neutral term common in academic, scientific, legal, and administrative contexts; it carries no inherent positive or negative connotation.
Easily confused with classification
Clarification means making something easier to understand by explaining it, while classification means sorting things into categories.