Taxonomy is the process of naming and classifying things such as animals and plants into groups within a larger system, according to their similarities and differences.
[technical]
taxonomy in British English
(tækˈsɒnəmɪ)
noun
1.
a.
the branch of biology concerned with the classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure, origin, etc
b.
the practice of arranging organisms in this way
2.
the science or practice of classification
Derived forms
taxonomic (ˌtæksəˈnɒmɪk) or taxonomical (ˌtaxoˈnomical)
adjective
taxonomically (ˌtaxoˈnomically)
adverb
taxonomist (taxˈonomist) or taxonomer (taxˈonomer)
noun
Word origin
C19: from French taxonomie, from Greek taxis order + -nomy
taxonomy in American English
(tækˈsɑnəmi)
nounWord forms: pluraltaxˈonomies
1.
the science of classification; laws and principles covering the classifying of objects
2. Biology
a system of arranging animals and plants into natural, related groups based on some factor common to each, as structure, embryology, or biochemistry: the basic taxa now in use are, in descending order from most inclusive, kingdom, phylum (in botany, division), class, order, family, genus, and species
Derived forms
taxonomic (ˌtaxoˈnomic) (ˌtæksəˈnɑmɪk)
adjective
taxonomically (ˌtaxoˈnomically)
adverb
taxonomist (taxˈonomist)
noun
Word origin
Fr taxonomie < Gr taxis (see taxi noun) + nomos, law (see -nomy)