Meanings
alternative DDC
- library studiesA proprietary library classification system that allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject.
Synonyms: Dewey Decimal System
Synonyms & antonyms
proper nounA proprietary library classification system that allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna system used by libraries to classify nonfictional publications into subject categories; the subject is indicated by a three-digit numeral and further specification is given by numerals following a decimal point; publications are shelved by number
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Named after American librarian and educator Melvil Dewey.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Dewey Decimal Classification. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dewey%20Decimal%20Classification
“Dewey Decimal Classification.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dewey%20Decimal%20Classification. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dewey Decimal Classification,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dewey%20Decimal%20Classification.
Source: Dewey Decimal Classification on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.