noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
General-American:/ˈklæsɪfaɪɚ/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈklæsɪfaɪə/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
1
noun
Meaning 1
Someone who classifies.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A word or morpheme used in some languages (such as CJKV languages and sign languages), in certain contexts (such as counting), to indicate the semantic class to which something belongs.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A machine that separates particles or objects of different size or density.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
A program or algorithm that classifies.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
noun
Meaning 5
A metaclass used to group other entities having common features.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: object-oriented programming
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
noun
Meaning 6
a word or morpheme used in some languages in certain contexts (such as counting) to indicate the semantic class to which the counted item belongs
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: word, morpheme
7
noun
Meaning 7
a person who creates classifications
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: thinker
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English classify Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English classifier From classify + -er.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
مُصَنِّف
(muṣannif)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفَة
(muṣannifa)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفُون
(muṣannifūn)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفِين
(muṣannifīn)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفَيْن
(muṣannifayn)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفَان
(muṣannifān)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفَات
(muṣannifāt)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفَتَان
(muṣannifatān)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مُصَنِّفَتَيْن
(muṣannifatayn)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مِصْنَاف
(miṣnāf)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مِصْنَافَيْن
(miṣnāfayn)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مِصْنَافَان
(miṣnāfān)
— someone who classifies
Arabic:
مَصَانِيف
(maṣānīf)
— someone who classifies
Catalan:
classificador
— someone who classifies
Catalan:
classificadora
— someone who classifies
Czech:
klasifikátor
— someone who classifies
French:
classificateur
— someone who classifies
Māori:
kaiwhakarōpū
— someone who classifies
Occitan:
classificador
— someone who classifies
Portuguese:
classificador
— someone who classifies
Swedish:
klassificerare
— someone who classifies
American Sign Language:
C@Side-PalmAcross L@Side-PalmAcross
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Burmese:
သင်္ချာပစ္စည်း
(sanghkyapaccany:)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Chinese Mandarin:
量詞 /量词
(liàngcí)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
French:
classificateur
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
French:
mot de mesure
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
German:
Zählwort
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
German:
Zählklassenwort
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
German:
Zähleinheitswort
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
German:
Numeralklassifikator
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
German:
Zahlklassifikator
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
German:
Klassifikator
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Hungarian:
számlálószó
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Japanese:
助数詞
(josūshi)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Japanese:
類別詞
(ruibetsushi)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Japanese:
量詞
(ryōshi)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Khmer:
នាមរនាប់
(neam ronuab)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Khmer:
សំខ្យានុគ្រោះ
(sâmkhyanŭkruŏh)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Korean:
수분류사
(subullyusa)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Korean:
양수사
(yangsusa)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Lao:
ລັກສະນະນາມ
(lak sa na nām)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Malay:
penjodoh bilangan
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Portuguese:
classificador
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Russian:
классифика́тор
(klassifikátor)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Russian:
счётное сло́во
(sčótnoje slóvo)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Swedish:
klassmärke
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Thai:
ลักษณนาม
(lák-sà-nà-naam)
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Vietnamese:
loại từ
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Vietnamese:
danh từ loại thể
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
Vietnamese:
danh từ chỉ đơn vị tự nhiên
— (linguistics) word or morpheme used to indicate a semantic class
French:
classifieur
— computing: a program or algorithm that classifies
Kazakh:
сыныптауыш
(synyptauyş)
— computing: a program or algorithm that classifies
French:
classifieur
— OOP: class which classifies other classes by features