taxonomy

noun

1. The science or practice of classifying things, especially living organisms, into groups based on shared characteristics.

   C1

   uncountable

   • "Taxonomy helps biologists organize the huge variety of life on Earth."B2
   • "Modern taxonomy relies on genetic data as well as physical features."C1

2. A particular system or scheme for organizing and naming categories of things.

   C1

   countable

   • "The library uses a detailed taxonomy to sort its books by subject."C1