Word
taxonomy
Phoneticstax·on·o·my, stress on the second syllable
US/ˌtækˈsɔnəˌmi/
UK/tæksˈɒnəmi/
Countable & uncountable
Definition
n. a system for naming and organizing things into groups based on how they are similar. It is often used in science to group animals and plants.
n. a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical one, used for the systematic categorization of organisms or concepts. Often implies a formal or scientific framework.
Examples
“The library uses a complex taxonomy to organize its books.”
“Biologists are constantly updating the taxonomy of marine life as new genetic evidence comes to light.”
“The software developer created a custom taxonomy to tag and retrieve thousands of digital assets based on their resolution, format, and licensing status.”
Examples
simple
“The library uses a complex taxonomy to organize its books.”
contextual
“Biologists are constantly updating the taxonomy of marine life as new genetic evidence comes to light.”
complex
“The software developer created a custom taxonomy to tag and retrieve thousands of digital assets based on their resolution, format, and licensing status.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the science of classification; countable when referring to a specific system of categories.
Real-World Examples
“Rubin Observatory is expected to find many more stellar streams within our galaxy , which will help astronomers build a taxonomy of stream features and—hopefully—discover fingerprints of dark matter.” “They were engaged in what the French sociologist Roger Caillois, in his taxonomy Man, Play and Games (1958), called paidia : free, spontaneous, unstructured play.” Etymology
Borrowed from French taxonomie. By surface analysis, taxo- + -nomy.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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