在英语语法中，分类形容词是一种定语形容词，用于将人或事物划分为特定的组、类型或类别。与定性形容词不同，分类形容词没有比较级或最高级形式。

形容词分类的功能与地位

Geoff Reilly在他的《语法和风格技巧》（2004）中对形容词的分类有这样的说法：

"Sometimes attributive adjectives show that the noun they are describing is of a particular type or class. They put the noun into a particular group. They classify the noun as being of a certain type, so they are called classifying adjectives. For example: The soldier was driving a military vehicle. The soldier could have been driving any type of vehicle but, in this case, the vehicle was of the military class or type. The noun "vehicle" is modified by the classifying adjective "military," which describes the class or type of vehicle. Classifying adjectives normally come in front of the noun:

• 原子物理学
• 立方厘米
• 数字手表
• 医疗保健
• 拼音字母

The noun "physics" has the classifying adjective "atomic" in front. "Atomic" describes a particular type or class of the science of physics. Similarly, "watch" has the classifying adjective "digital" in front of it. Rather than being a traditional analog watch, this particular watch belongs to the type or class that is digital."

形容词分类识别

Gordon Winch，在2005的《基础语法词典》中说：

"A classifying adjective is a describing word that tells us the class of the noun it describes, eucalyptus trees, Holden cars. You can pick out a classifying adjective because it will not take the word 'very' in front of it. You cannot say a very eucalyptus tree."

形容词分类的语序

“COBUILD English Usage”对句子中几个形容词的正确顺序有很好的理解：

"If there is more than one classifying adjective in front of a noun, the normal order is:

• 年龄-形状-国籍-材质
• …一个中世纪的法国村庄。
• …一个长方形的塑料盒子。
• …一件意大利丝绸夹克。

Other types of classifying adjectives usually come after a nationality adjective:

• ……中国的艺术传统。
• ……美国的政治制度。”

“unique”作为一个分类形容词

在2013年的“牛津语法和标点A-Z”中，John Seely谈到了“独特”一词的用法：

"[Unique] is a classifying adjective. Classifying adjectives put things into groups or classes so they cannot normally be modified by having adverbs such as 'very' placed in front of them. 'Unique' means 'of which there is only one,' so it is, strictly speaking, wrong to say, for example: He was a very unique person. ...On the other hand there are a small number of modifiers that can be used with 'unique.' The most obvious is 'almost':

• 英国几乎是独一无二的，它继续向几乎所有的国内客户收取不可计量的费用。[水]

This can be justified because it means that Britain is not the only country to do this; there are a few others. There is, however, a looser meaning frequently given (especially in informal speech and writing) to 'unique': 'outstanding or remarkable.' When it is used in this sense it is often preceded by 'very' This use is best avoided in formal speech or writing."

形容词分类举例

• Henry Winkler和Lin Oliverth视频持续了七分钟，我知道这是因为Frankie在他的数字手表上计时。
• Mickey Sundgren LothropI有一枚我未来丈夫给我的木币。
• 詹姆斯·巴特勒马纳（James BartlemanA）在一幢大楼的高处，一个巨大的电子标牌闪烁着，上面显示了一个快乐的家庭在喝可口可乐，标语是“不能打败真人”
• 大卫·哈克特·菲舍隆在根西岛，一个名叫阿波罗·里沃伊尔的法国小男孩，12岁，被他的叔叔带到圣彼得港。
• 罗伯特·恩格对于二战中的德国人来说，英国、美国和加拿大炮火的猛烈程度是全新的，即使对东线的老兵来说也是如此。
• 1955年，爱达荷州阿科的霍华德·S·希夫曼宁成为美国第一个使用核能的城镇，如今美国有100多座核电站。
• 纳撒尼尔·韦斯特离荷马坐的地方大约十英尺长着一棵大桉树，树干后面是一个小男孩。