a number of persons or things regarded as forming a group by reason of common attributes, characteristics, qualities, or traits; kind; sort: a class of objects used in daily living.
a group of students meeting regularly to study a subject under the guidance of a teacher: The class had arrived on time for the lecture.
the period during which a group of students meets for instruction.
a meeting of a group of students for instruction.
a classroom.
a number of pupils in a school, or of students in a college, pursuing the same studies, ranked together, or graduated in the same year: She graduated from Ohio State, class of '72.
a social stratum sharing basic economic, political, or cultural characteristics, and having the same social position: Artisans form a distinct class in some societies.
the system of dividing society; caste.
social rank, especially high rank.
the members of a given group in society, regarded as a single entity.
any division of persons or things according to rank or grade: Hotels were listed by class, with the most luxurious ones listed first.
excellence; exceptional merit: She's a good performer, but she lacks class.
Hinduism. any of the four social divisions, the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Shudra, of Hindu society; varna.Compare caste (def. 2).
Informal. elegance, grace, or dignity, as in dress and behavior: He may be a slob, but his brother has real class.
any of several grades of accommodations available on ships, airplanes, and the like: We bought tickets for first class.
Informal. the best or among the best of its kind: This new plane is the class of the wide-bodied airliners.
Biology. the usual major subdivision of a phylum or division in the classification of organisms, usually consisting of several orders.
British University. any of three groups into which candidates for honors degrees are divided according to merit on the basis of final examinations.
drafted or conscripted soldiers, or persons available for draft or conscription, all of whom were born in the same year.
Grammar. form class.
Ecclesiastical. classis.
(in early Methodism) one of several small companies, each composed of about 12 members under a leader, into which each society or congregation was divided.
Statistics. a group of measurements that fall within a specified interval.
Mathematics. a set; a collection.
the classes,the higher ranks of society, as distinguished from the masses.
adjective
Informal. of high quality, integrity, status, or style: class players on a mediocre team.
verb (used with object)
to place or arrange in a class; classify: to class justice with wisdom.
verb (used without object)
to take or have a place in a particular class: those who class as believers.
Verb Phrases
class up,Informal. to improve the quality, tone, or status of; add elegance, dignity, style, etc., to: The new carpet and curtains really class up this room.
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Origin of class
First recorded in 1590–1600; earlier classis, plural classes, from Latin: “class, division, fleet, army”; singular class back formation from plural
SYNONYMS FOR class
27 group, categorize, type, rank, rate.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR class ON THESAURUS.COM
grammar notes for class
See collective noun.
OTHER WORDS FROM class
class·a·ble,adjectiveclasser,nounmis·class,verbre·class,verb (used with object)
clasper, claspers, clasping, clasp knife, clasp-knife spasticity, class, class-A amplifier, class act, class action, class action law suit, class A drug
A Senate report published Wednesday claimed that policy delayed 7 percent of the country’s first-class mail in the five weeks after it took effect.
Federal judge issues temporary injunction against USPS operational changes amid concerns about mail slowdowns|Elise Viebeck, Jacob Bogage|September 17, 2020|Washington Post
His diction, that booming voice, his intensity, are in a class by themselves.
How Laurence Fishburne Gave Voice To ‘The Autobiography Of Malcolm X’|Joi-Marie McKenzie|September 17, 2020|Essence.com
The researchers found that there was no difference in outcomes between the three kinds of classes.
Why hasn’t digital learning lived up to its promise?|Walter Thompson|September 17, 2020|TechCrunch
We could go to classes remotely from our homes or from our dorm rooms.
Even the most cautious schools are seeing outbreaks|Sy Mukherjee|September 17, 2020|Fortune
With only eight students left, leadership at Lincoln High decided to cancel the class after the first quarter, as Scott Lewis reports in a new story on Williams’ ordeal.
Morning Report: Lincoln Abruptly Canceled AP Class|Voice of San Diego|September 17, 2020|Voice of San Diego
I was drawn to The Class for different reasons—chiefly, the pipe dream of achieving a tighter and tauter backside.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Stephanie Giorgio, a classical musician, credits The Class for helping her cope with anxiety, focus, fear, and self-doubt.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Nothing in it was meant to change the basic operations of the capitalist economy or to intervene aggressively in class relations.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society|Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I did a ten minute scene in his class: the guy who had gangrene in his leg in The Snows of Kilimanjaro.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
My nickname was Captain, though I was a private, first class.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This class, Mr. C. supposes, embraces one half of the whole number transported from Africa.
Abolitionism Exposed!|W. W. Sleigh
The agreeable resources of Paris must certainly please and instruct every class of characters.
The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson Compiled From Family Letters and Reminiscences|Sarah N. Randolph
The Central Authority in 1907 applies this principle unreservedly to one class only, the wayfarers or vagrants.
English Poor Law Policy|Sidney Webb
His class room will never be forgotten by those who delighted to go to it, and regretted to leave it.
The History of Dartmouth College|Baxter Perry Smith
Special reasons may exist in some particular case why a man in this class has not entered into such relation.
Defense of the Faith and the Saints (Volume 1 of 2)|B. H. Roberts
British Dictionary definitions for class
class
/ (klɑːs) /
noun
a collection or division of people or things sharing a common characteristic, attribute, quality, or property
a group of persons sharing a similar social position and certain economic, political, and cultural characteristics
(in Marxist theory) a group of persons sharing the same relationship to the means of production
the pattern of divisions that exist within a society on the basis of rank, economic status, etc
(as modifier)the class struggle; class distinctions
a group of pupils or students who are taught and study together
a meeting of a group of students for tuition
mainlyUSa group of students who graduated in a specified yearthe class of '53
(in combination and as modifier)Britisha grade of attainment in a university honours degreesecond-class honours
one of several standards of accommodation in public transportSee also first class, second class, third class
informalexcellence or elegance, esp in dress, design, or behaviourthat girl's got class
(as modifier)a class act
outstanding speed and stamina in a racehorse
(as modifier)the class horse in the race
biologyany of the taxonomic groups into which a phylum is divided and which contains one or more orders. Amphibia, Reptilia, and Mammalia are three classes of phylum Chordata
mathslogic
another name for set 2 (def. 3)
proper classa class which cannot itself be a member of other classes
in a class of its ownorin a class by oneselfunequalled; unparalleled
verb
to have or assign a place within a group, grade, or class
Derived forms of class
classable, adjectiveclasser, noun
Word Origin for class
C17: from Latin classis class, rank, fleet; related to Latin calāre to summon
What’s The Funniest (Or Most Embarrassing) Thing You’ve Said During Class?School may not physically be in session right now, but you can still say funny (and really embarrassing) things in a Zoom class too! Watch these people's most embarrassing classroom moments. Can you relate?
A group of people sharing the same social, economic, or occupational status. The term class usually implies a social and economic hierarchy, in which those of higher class standing have greater status, privilege, prestige, and authority. Western societies have traditionally been divided into three classes: the upper or leisure class, the middle class (bourgeoisie), and the lower or working class. For Marxists, the significant classes are the bourgeoisie and the proletariat (see also proletariat).
Cultural definitions for class (2 of 2)
class
In biology, the classification beneath a phylum and above an order. (See Linnean classification.)
A taxonomic category of organisms ranking above an order and below a phylum or division. In modern taxonomic schemes, the names of classes end in -phyceae for the various groups of algae, -mycetes for fungi, and -opsida for plants (as in Liliopsida, the class of plants also termed monocotyledons). The names of classes belonging to phyla of the animal kingdom, however, are formed in various ways, as Osteichthyes the bony fishes, Aves, the birds, and Mammalia, the mammals, all of which are classes belonging to the subphylum Vertebrata (the vertebrates) in the phylum Chordata. See Table at taxonomy.