Subclasses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Specific divisions that are part of a larger classification system
2. Groups formed under a main category to streamline classification
3. Divisions representing different groups within a general classification

Etymology: "Subclasses" is simply the plural of "subclass," and the word is built from two familiar parts. The prefix "sub-" comes from Latin "sub," meaning "under" or "below," while "class" arrives through Middle French "classe" from Latin "classis," a word for a group of people or a division of the citizenry. Put together, a subclass is a group that sits beneath a larger class, which is exactly what the plural names: the smaller divisions nested inside a broader category.

Synonyms: categories, types, groups, divisions, classifications

Antonyms: holism, unity