Meaning & use
reclassification
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Meaning
nouncountable or uncountableformal
The act or result of putting something into a different category, class or official status.
Grammar: Often uncountable in general use, but countable when you mean a specific change: several reclassifications.
Patterns
- reclassification of something
- reclassification as something
The reclassification of the drug made it harder to buy without a prescription.
Workers welcomed the reclassification of their jobs as full-time roles.
The reclassification of the road meant that heavy trucks could use it.
Word forms
| plural | reclassifications |
|---|
Common combinations
- reclassification of something
- The reclassification of the species is under review.
- seek reclassification
- The union will seek reclassification of the posts.
- formal reclassification
- A formal reclassification takes months to complete.
- reclassification as something
- The reclassification as a protected area was welcomed.
- job reclassification
- A job reclassification raised her pay by one grade.
Synonyms and how they differ
- recategorization
- Recategorization is a near match but sounds less official and appears less in law and government.
- regrading
- Regrading fits a change of grade or rank, whereas reclassification covers any kind of category.
- reassignment
- Reassignment usually means moving a person to a new post, not changing a label.
- redesignation
- Redesignation is a formal word for giving a new official name or status, so it is more specific.
Word family
- reclassify verb
- to put in a new class
- classify verb
- to sort into groups
- classification noun
- the sorting of things into groups
- classified adjective
- sorted, or officially secret
- reclassified adjective
- placed in a new category
Commonly confused: reclassification or declassification?
reclassification vs declassification
Declassification means removing a secret label from official papers. Reclassification means a new category, not a removal of secrecy.
Practice
After the reclassification of the building as a historic site, owners could not ____.
Choose one answer.
Historic status brings restrictions, including on demolition. The other options are not what a heritage reclassification normally prevents.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reclassification”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.