classified

[klas-uh-fahyd]

adjective

1. arranged or distributed in classes or according to class.

   We plan to review all the classified specimens in the laboratory.

2. designating the part or parts of a publication that contain advertisements or lists arranged by category.

   The classified section of our little local newspaper is full of ads for garage sales and cleaning ladies.

3. (of information, a document, etc.)

   1. available only to authorized persons.

   2. bearing the designation classified.

4. confidential or secret.

   The firm's promotional budget for next year is classified information.

5. identified as belonging to a specific group or category, as one to which benefits or restrictions apply.

   Classified buildings are eligible for state-funded restoration. The bank has a list of classified customers to whom it will not make large loans.

noun

1. classified ad.

classified

/ ˈklæsɪˌfaɪd /

adjective

1. arranged according to some system of classification

2. government (of information) not available to people outside a restricted group, esp for reasons of national security

3. (of information) closely concealed or secret

4. (of advertisements in newspapers, etc) arranged according to type

5. (of newspapers) containing sports results, esp football results

6. (of British roads) having a number in the national road system. If the number is preceded by an M the road is a motorway, if by an A it is a first-class road, and if by a B it is a secondary road

Other Word Forms

• nonclassified adjective
• superclassified adjective
• well-classified adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of classified¹

First recorded in 1885–90; 1940–45 classified for def. 3; classify + -ed ²

Example Sentences

Exceptions will be made when classified national security information is inadvertently stated or language is used that violates Federal Communications Commission broadcast standards.

From Los Angeles Times

The domestic spy agency classified it in May as a right-wing extremist organisation this year, before placing a pause on that description due to an appeal pending in court.

From BBC

That reporting also revealed that Edison knew that some of the electrical towers under investigation were long overdue for critical upkeep and were classified as an “ignition risk” in company records.

From Los Angeles Times

Whether whole milk can be neatly classified as “bad” remains an ongoing debate.

From Salon

Part of the communication issues may be down to how hurricanes are classified, using the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale.

From BBC

Related Words

• confidential 
• restricted 

When To Use

What does classified mean?

Classified means categorized or labeled in some way.Classified has several different meanings that all have to do with things being sorted in a certain way. It is commonly used to mean secret or confidential, as in that information is classified.Example: The agency keeps a list of people who have been classified as security risks.