Reclassified

Reclassified is the past participle of the verb reclassify, describing the act of assigning something to a different category or class after review. When something is reclassified, its classification—the label or category used for its organization, protection, or description—has been changed to reflect new information, policy, or criteria.

In government and security contexts, reclassification refers to changing the protection level of information or materials. Documents may be reclassified from confidential to public, or from secret to confidential, and vice versa. This process is often governed by laws and regulations and can affect access, disclosure, and accountability.

In science and taxonomy, reclassification describes moving a species, genus, or higher taxon to a different group based on new evidence, such as genetic or morphological data. Reclassification can alter scientific names, membership in families, and understanding of evolutionary relationships.

In information management and business, items may be reclassified to reflect revised criteria, such as product categorization, risk rating, or resource tagging, enabling more accurate retrieval and decision-making. Reclassification can have practical effects on budgeting, reporting, and policy.

The term emphasizes reassessment and change rather than the original designation. It is used both as a verb (to reclassify) and as an adjective (reclassified).