v. [A modern word, f. L. class-is class, as if ad. L. *classificāre: see -FY, and cf. mod.F. classifier, in Littré as a neologism.] trans. To arrange or distribute in classes according to a method or system.
1799. W. Tooke, Russ. Empire, I. 531 (Webst.). The diseases and casualties are not scientifically classified.
1805. W. Saunders, Min. Waters, 97. If we are not anxious to classify with too much minuteness.
1807. Southey, Espriella’s Lett. (1814), III. 120. Swedenborg had learnt to classify in his earthly studies.
1818. in Todd.
1824. Blackw. Mag., XVI. Dec., 620/1. Another class of transgressions … we shall now enumerate:—‘to compete’—(an American discovery)—‘to classify’—(a barbarism, which we are sorry to see, in the leading article of the last North American Review, No. 44, p. 42)…. This comes of inventing new words ‘for short’:—to classify is a charming abbreviation of, to class; as lengthy, is of length.
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 98. To classify a type of character as good or bad.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 31. Long ago they [actions] have been classified sufficiently for all practical purposes.
Hence Classifying vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1858. Buckle, Civiliz., II. 515 (L.). A singular precision of the classifying power, which he possessed as a native talent.
