Standard Lemma guide

classifier

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

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

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
Real reading context

classifier in complete knowledge articles