Classifiable

/ˈklæsɪfaɪəbl̩/ adjective

Definition

Able to be arranged into categories, groups, or classes based on shared characteristics.

Etymology

From 'classify' (to arrange into classes) plus the suffix '-able' (able to be). Entered English in the 19th century with the growth of systematic organization.

Kelly Says

Scientists realized that almost nothing in nature is perfectly 'classifiable'—life constantly surprises us with creatures that don't fit neatly into the boxes we create, like platypuses that lay eggs but nurse their young.

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