Word.ws English Dictionary

classified

US/ˈklæsəfaɪd/

classified is the simple past and past participle of classify.

Adjective

classified (comparative more classified, superlative most classified)

  1. Sorted into classes or categories.
  2. Formally assigned by a government to one of several levels of sensitivity, usually (in English) top secret, secret, confidential, and, in some countries, restricted; thereby making disclosure to unauthorized persons illegal.
    • We do not discuss specific interrogation techniques because they are classified information.
    • Charlie: Where did you see this?
      Maverick: That's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
      Charlie: I have Top Secret clearance. The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you.1986, Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., Top Gun (motion picture)
  3. Not meant to be disclosed by a person or organization.
    • I won't say who I'm going to the prom with; that's classified.

Meaning of classify

Verb

classify (third-person singular simple present classifies, present participle classifying, simple past and past participle classified)

  1. to identify by or divide into classes; to categorize
    • Should we classify "make up" as an idiom or as a phrasal verb?
  2. to declare something a secret, especially a government secret
    • They decided to classify that information.
  3. To make classy

Noun

classified (plural classifieds)

  1. (informal) A classified advertisement in a newspaper or magazine.
    • He ran a classified for the tools he wanted to sell.

Forms of classified

Adjective
comparativemore classified
superlativemost classified
Noun
pluralclassifieds

Origin of classified

From classify + -ed.

From classified advertisement, by shortening.

Words formed from classified

Phrases with classified

Questions about classified

What does classified mean?
Classified means sorted into classes or categories.
What is classified the simple past and past participle of?
Classified is the simple past and past participle of classify.
What part of speech is classified?
Classified can be an adjective or a noun.
How do you pronounce classified?
Classified is pronounced /ˈklæsəfaɪd/ (US).

Words near classified in the dictionary

  1. classifications
  2. classificator
  3. classificatorily
  4. classificators
  5. classificatory
  6. classified
  7. classified ad
  8. classified ads
  9. classified advertisement
  10. classified advertisements
  11. classifieds

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: classified (page history and authors); classify (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-classified.wav.

Cite this entry: “classified.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/classified. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.