Class is a common English word with several meanings. It can mean a group of students, a school lesson, a social group, a categorya division used to sort things with similar features, or the act of arrangingputting items in an ordered or organized way things into groups. It can also mean elegancegraceful beauty or refined good taste or good style.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /klæs/
Easy pronunciation: KLAS (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable; stress is on the only syllable.
This is the noun meaning a body of students taught together.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Class Meaning
a group of students in the same lesson
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a body of students who are taught together
Example: Our class meets every Monday morning.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- form — Common in British English for a school group.
- grade — Used for a school year or student group, especially in American English.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Class
Meaning 2
a lesson or course of study
Part of speech: noun
Definition: education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
Example: She’s taking a photography class this semester.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- course — A standard substitute in this sense.
- course of instruction — More formal than everyday usage.
- course of study — Works when referring to an organized program of learning.
Meaning 3
a social group with a similar status or level
Part of speech: noun
Definition: people having the same social, economic, or educational status
Example: He came from the working class.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- social class — Direct synonym in this sense.
- socio-economic class — Direct synonym in sociological contexts.
- stratum — More formal and less common in everyday speech.
Meaning 4
to sort things into groups
Part of speech: verb
Definition: arrange or order by classes or categories
Example: Researchers classed the samples by age.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- assort — Can mean sort into groups, but is less common.
- classify — A direct and common equivalent.
- separate — Works only when the sense is to place things apart by type.
- sort — A common practical substitute.
- sort out — Less precise, but often used in similar contexts.
Meaning 5
a group or type of things that share something in common
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a collection of things sharing a common attribute
Example: There are several classes of antibiotics.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- category — A strong everyday synonym in this sense.
- family — Used in some classification systems, but not always interchangeable.
Meaning 6
a ranked division in sports or competition
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a league ranked by quality
Example: He spent two seasons in Class D.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- division — Can work in organized leagues, though not in every context.
Meaning 7
a biological ranking below phylum and above order
Part of speech: noun
Definition: (biology) a taxonomic group containing one or more orders
Example: Mammalia is a class of animals.
Meaning 8
stylish, graceful quality
Part of speech: noun
Definition: elegance in dress or behavior
Example: She handled the situation with class.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Class Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- course
- category
- sort
- classify
a group of students in the same lesson
- form
- grade
a lesson or course of study
- course
- course of instruction
- course of study
a social group with similar status
- social class
- socio-economic class
- stratum
to sort things into groups
- assort
- classify
- separate
- sort
- sort out
a group or type of things that share something in common
- category
- family
a ranked division in sports or competition
- division
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing class as a school group with class as a course or lesson.
- Using class to mean a biological rank when talking about everyday school or social groups.
- Treating class as a synonym for elegance in dress or behavior in the same way as a category or school group.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common meaning of class?
The most common everyday meaning is a group of students taught together, or the lesson itself depending on context.
What are the main synonyms for class?
It depends on the meaning. For a school group, form or grade can work. For a lesson, course is the main synonym. For grouping things, category and classify are common related words, but classify is a verb, not a noun.
Is class always a noun?
No. Class is usually a noun, but it can also be a verb meaning to sort or group something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-21. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.