Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Classification \Clas`si*fi*ca"tion\, n. [Cf. F. classification.]
   The act of forming into a class or classes; a distibution
   into groups, as classes, orders, families, etc., according to
   some common relations or affinities.

   {Artificial classification}. (Science) See under
      {Artifitial}.

Source : WordNet®

classification
     n 1: the act of distributing things into classes or categories of
          the same type [syn: {categorization}, {categorisation},
          {compartmentalization}, {compartmentalisation}, {assortment}]
     2: a group of people or things arranged by class or category
        [syn: {categorization}, {categorisation}]
     3: the basic cognitive process of arranging into classes or
        categories [syn: {categorization}, {categorisation}, {sorting}]
     4: restriction imposed by the government on documents or
        weapons that are available only to certain authorized
        people [ant: {declassification}]