What does "sorting" mean?

1. (organising items) the process of putting things into a specific order or into different groups. 2. (data processing) arranging information in a computer, like putting names in alphabetical order.

How do you use "sorting"?

Often used as an uncountable noun or as a gerund followed by 'of'.

sorting

US //ˈsɔɹtɪŋ// UK //sˈɔːtɪŋ// sort·ing

1 organising items (n.)
B1 Intermediate

the process of putting things into a specific order or into different groups.

the systematic arrangement of items into groups or a sequence based on specific criteria.

Example

The sorting of the mail takes several hours every morning at the post office.

Example

Efficient sorting of recyclable materials at the source significantly reduces the cost of waste management for the municipality.

Usage

Often used as an uncountable noun or as a gerund followed by 'of'.
- categorisation
- classification
- arrangement
- jumbling
- mixing
2 data processing (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Computing

arranging information in a computer, like putting names in alphabetical order.

the algorithmic process of arranging data in a specific order, such as numerical or alphabetical.

Example

The computer finished the sorting of the database in just a few seconds.

Example

The developer implemented a more efficient sorting algorithm to handle the massive influx of user data during peak hours.
- ordering
- indexing