classified

English

Pronunciation

• (General American, Canada) IPA^(key): /ˈklæsəfaɪd/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From classify + -ed.

Verb

classified

1. simple past and past participle of classify

   Make sure all the field observations are classified by species.

Adjective

classified (comparative more classified, superlative most classified)

1. Sorted into classes or categories.

   Coordinate terms: classed, categorized, grouped

2. Formally assigned by a government to one of several levels of sensitivity, usually (in English) top secret, secret, confidential, and, in some countries, restricted; thereby making disclosure to unauthorized persons illegal.

   We do not discuss specific interrogation techniques because they are classified information.

   • 1986, Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr., Top Gun (motion picture):

     Charlie: Where did you see this?
     Maverick: That's classified. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.
     Charlie: I have Top Secret clearance. The Pentagon sees to it that I know more than you.

3. Not meant to be disclosed by a person or organization.

   Coordinate terms: private, secret

   I won't say who I'm going to the prom with; that's classified.

Derived terms

• classified ad
• classified advertisement
• declassified
• nonclassified
• preclassified
• reclassified
• semiclassified
• subclassified
• superclassified
• unclassified

Related terms

• classification
• declassification
• reclassification

Translations

formally assigned to a level of sensitivity

• Greek: διαβαθισμένος (diavathisménos)
• Polish: niejawny (pl), zastrzeżony
• Portuguese: confidencial (pt), sigiloso (pt), secreto (pt)
• Spanish: confidencial (es), secreto (es)
• Swedish: hemligstämplad (sv)

not meant to be disclosed

• Hindi: गोपनीय (hi) (gopnīya)
• Italian: riservato (it) m, segreto (it) m, confidenziale (it)
• Polish: tajny (pl), poufny (pl)
• Portuguese: confidencial (pt), secreto (pt)
• Spanish: confidencial (es), secreto (es)
• Ukrainian: тає́мний (tajémnyj) (of a document), секре́тний (sekrétnyj)

See also

• bigot list
• on a need-to-know basis

Etymology 2

From classified advertisement, by shortening.

Noun

classified (plural classifieds)

1. (informal) A classified advertisement in a newspaper or magazine.

   He ran a classified for the tools he wanted to sell.

Translations

classified advertisement — see classified advertisement