# class

/ˈkɫæs/ (US) · /klˈɑːs/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/class
Updated: 2026-07-22

## Senses

### 1. students or a lesson

noun · CEFR A1

a group of students who learn together, or the period of time when they are being taught.

For teachers: a group of students meeting regularly for instruction, or a specific instructional period.

- I have a history class at ten o'clock, so I need to leave now.
- The professor noted that the morning class was significantly more engaged during the seminar than the afternoon cohort.

### 2. social group

noun · CEFR B1

a group of people in society based on their wealth, job, or family background.

For teachers: a division of society based on social and economic status.

- Many people in the city consider themselves part of the middle class.
- Sociologists argue that social class remains a primary determinant of educational outcomes in modern industrial societies.

### 3. travel category

noun · CEFR A2

the quality or price level of a seat on a plane, train, or ship.

For teachers: a category of accommodation or seating on public transport, typically reflecting price and comfort levels.

- We decided to fly business class because the flight was very long.
- The airline offers a premium economy class that bridges the gap between standard seating and the luxury of first class.

### 4. elegance or style

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a quality of being stylish, polite, or high quality.

For teachers: an admirable quality of elegance, sophistication, or high ethical standards in behavior.

- Even though they lost the game, the team showed real class by shaking hands.
- The way she handled the public criticism with quiet dignity showed a level of class that her detractors lacked.

### 5. biological group

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a way of grouping living things that are similar, like mammals or birds.

For teachers: a taxonomic rank in biological classification that sits below phylum and above order.

- In biology, we learned that humans belong to the class of mammals.
- The researcher identified a new species that challenged the existing definitions of its assigned biological class.

### 6. computing template

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a set of instructions in computer programming that defines how an object works.

For teachers: an extensible program-code-template for creating objects, providing initial values for state and implementations of behavior.

- The programmer created a new class to handle the user's login information.
- By defining a base class for all vehicle types, the developer ensured that common properties like speed and fuel capacity were inherited consistently.

### 7. to categorize

verb · CEFR B2

to put something into a group with other similar things.

For teachers: to assign someone or something to a particular category or group.

- The city is classed as a heritage site because of its old buildings.
- Critics generally class his early novels as romantic fiction, though his later work is far more experimental and dark.

### 8. excellent

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · British English · Dialect

very good or excellent.

For teachers: denoting high quality or excellence; often used as a general superlative.

- That goal was absolutely class; I've never seen anything like it.
- The local fans described the performance as pure class, celebrating the winger's technical skill and composure under pressure.

## Examples

- I have a math class at ten o'clock.
- The teacher asked the class to open their books to page forty-two and start reading quietly.
- While the morning class focuses primarily on grammar and syntax, the afternoon session encourages students to apply those rules through intensive conversational practice.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.