classified

1 of 2

adjective

clas·​si·​fied ˈkla-sə-ˌfīd 

1

: divided into classes or placed in a class

classified ads

2

: withheld from general circulation for reasons of national security

classified information

classified

2 of 2

noun

: an advertisement grouped with others according to subject

—usually used in plural

Examples of classified in a Sentence

Adjective

The part of the report that includes classified information was removed before the report was made public.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Federal judges dismissed the Justice Department’s classified documents and election interference cases against Trump last month at the request of the DOJ, which has a long standing precedent of declining to prosecute sitting presidents. —Sara Dorn, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024

Besides the inquiries into Mr. Trump, the FBI in recent years also investigated Mr. Biden’s handling of classified information as well as Mr. Biden’s son Hunter for tax and gun violations. —Eric Tucker, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2024

Noun

On his third day, Craigslist launched in New York and swiftly nuked the profitability of the Voice’s classifieds. —Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 22 Aug. 2024

The couple met in 1992 through the old-school version of online dating: the classifieds. —Richard Schlesinger, CBS News, 6 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1789, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

classified

1 of 2 adjective

clas·​si·​fied ˈklas-ə-ˌfīd 

1

: divided into classes or placed in a class

classified ads

2

: withheld from the knowledge of the general public for reasons of national security

classified information

classified

2 of 2 noun

: an advertisement grouped with others of the same kind

—usually used in plural