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class Meaning & Definition

/klɑːs/

What Does Class Mean?

As a noun, class means A group, collection, category or set sharing characteristics or attributes. It is also used to mean A social grouping, based on job, wealth, etc. In Britain, society is commonly split into three main classes: upper class, middle class and working class. As a verb, it means To assign to a class; to classify. As an adjective, it means great; fabulous.

Word Facts for Class

Part of speechnoun, verb, adjective
Pronunciation/klɑːs/
Synonymsform, separate and course
Pluralclasses
Verb formsclasses, classing, classed

Class Definition (Noun)

  1. A group, collection, category or set sharing characteristics or attributes.

    The new Ford Fiesta is set to be best in the 'small family' class.

  2. A social grouping, based on job, wealth, etc. In Britain, society is commonly split into three main classes: upper class, middle class and working class.
  3. The division of society into classes.

    Jane Austen's works deal with class in 18th-century England.

  4. Admirable behavior; elegance.

    Apologizing for losing your temper, even though you were badly provoked, showed real class.

  5. A group of students in a regularly scheduled meeting with a teacher.

    The class was noisy, but the teacher was able to get their attention with a story.

  6. A series of lessons covering a single subject.

    I took the cooking class for enjoyment, but I also learned a lot.

  7. A single lesson in a series.

    Tomorrow's class will cover long division.

  8. A group of students who commenced or completed their education during a particular year. A school class.

    The class of 1982 was particularly noteworthy.

  9. a grade, standard, level of education.
  10. A category of seats in an airplane, train or other means of mass transportation.

    I used to fly business class, but now my company can only afford economy.

  11. A rank in the classification of organisms, below phylum and above order; a taxon of that rank.

    Magnolias belong to the class Magnoliopsida.

  12. Best of its kind.

    It is the class of Italian bottled waters.

  13. A grouping of data values in an interval, often used for computation of a frequency distribution.
  14. A collection of sets definable by a shared property, especially one which is not itself a set (in which case the class is called proper).

    The class of all sets is not a set.

  15. A group of people subject to be conscripted in the same military draft, or more narrowly those persons actually conscripted in a particular draft.
  16. A set of objects having the same behavior (but typically differing in state), or a template defining such a set in terms of its common properties, functions, etc.

    an abstract base class

  17. One of the sections into which a Methodist church or congregation is divided, supervised by a class leader.

Class as a Verb

  1. To assign to a class; to classify.

    I would class this with most of the other mediocre works of the period.

  2. To be grouped or classed.
  3. To divide into classes, as students; to form into, or place in, a class or classes.

Class as an Adjective

  1. great; fabulous

Noun

  1. A collection of sets definable by a shared property.

    Every set is a class, but classes are not generally sets. A class that is not a set is called a proper class.

  2. A set of objects having the same behavior (but typically differing in state), or a template defining such a set.

    an abstract base class

Synonyms of Class

Class synonyms and antonyms →

Class in a Sentence

The new Ford Fiesta is set to be best in the 'small family' class.

That is one class-A heifer you got there, sonny.

Often used to imply membership of a large class.

This word has a whole class of metaphoric extensions.

Jane Austen's works deal with class in 18th-century England.

Apologizing for losing your temper, even though you were badly provoked, showed real class.

The class was noisy, but the teacher was able to get their attention with a story.

I took the cooking class for enjoyment, but I also learned a lot.

Tomorrow's class will cover long division.

The class of 1982 was particularly noteworthy.

I used to fly business class, but now my company can only afford economy.

Magnolias belong to the class Magnoliopsida.

It is the class of Italian bottled waters.

The class of all sets is not a set.

Every set is a class, but classes are not generally sets. A class that is not a set is called a proper class.

an abstract base class

I would class this with most of the other mediocre works of the period.

Word Forms & Grammar

class (countable and uncountable, plural classes)

class (third-person singular simple present classes, present participle classing, simple past and past participle classed)

class (not comparable)

Words That Rhyme With Class

Origin of Class

Origin 1: From Middle French classe, from Latin classis (“a class or division of the people, assembly of people, the whole body of citizens called to arms, the army, the fleet, later a class or division in general”), from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₁- (“to call, shout”). Doublet of clas and classis.

Origin 2: Displaced Old English ġecynd.

Frequently Asked Questions About Class

Is class a noun or a verb?

Class is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb and an adjective.

What is another word for class?

Close synonyms of class are form, separate and course. See the full list of class synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of class?

The plural of class is classes.

What is the past tense of class?

The past tense of class is classed. The present participle is classing.

More About Class On Meaning Stash

More Words Starting With “Cla”