classifiable

Classifiable means capable of being classified or arranged into categories. It is used to describe objects, data, phenomena, or ideas that can be assigned to a predefined class or category based on shared features or rules. The concept is central to taxonomy, data classification, and many areas of logic and philosophy, where the question is not what is known about an item, but whether it can be placed within a systematic scheme.

The term implies potential rather than actual sorting. For example, a newly observed plant specimen may be classifiable within an existing taxonomic framework, even if its precise species designation requires further study. Similarly, a dataset can be classifiable if its instances can be labeled into set categories; if features provide no reliable partition, the data may be considered non-classifiable.

Noun forms include classifiability, the quality or degree to which something is classifiable. Etymology traces to classify, from Latin classificare, from classis meaning a division, and the -able suffix indicating capability. Related concepts include classification, categorization, taxonomy, and labeling. In scientific practice, assessing classifiability can guide how researchers collect data, select features for models, and design classification schemes.