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Code & Deliverynoun · /klæs/

class

In simple English

A class is one of the fundamental concepts in object-oriented programming (OOP). Think of it as a cookie cutter that defines what properties a cookie will have and what actions it can perform. When you define a class, you are not creating an actual object yet; you are just defining the rules and structure. To create a usable object, you instantiate the class, which means you create an instance of it. For example, you might have a class called User that defines properties like username, email, and password, plus methods like login() and logout(). Every user object created from this class will have those same properties and abilities. In tech workplaces, developers constantly discuss classes when designing software architecture, writing code reviews, or planning object-oriented systems. You will hear phrases like create a class, extend a class, inherit from a class, or instantiate a class in daily conversations and documentation.

Understand what a class is in object-oriented programming and how to use it in code.

At a glanceCEFR B2
Commonness5/5
Versatility5/5
FormalityCasualFormalNeutral
Spoken ↔ WrittenSpokenWrittenBoth
Directness ↔ DiplomaticDirectDiplomaticDirect
RegionUS and UK
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Say it like this

✓We should create a new class for this functionality.
✓Can you instantiate that class in the main method?
✓This class inherits from the parent class.

Real examples

in a standup

"I finished refactoring the User class and it is ready for testing."

in a code review

"This method is doing too much; we should move it to a separate class."

in a team meeting

"We need to design a Payment class before we can handle transactions."

Don't say this

Handle with care. Non-native speakers may confuse the programming meaning with the general education meaning (classroom), or forget that class requires instantiation to create objects.

✕I created a class object.
✓I created an instance of the class or I instantiated the class.— A class is not an object itself; it is a blueprint. You create an object (instance) from a class.
✕The class is executing now.
✓The method in the class is executing now.— Classes do not execute; methods within classes execute. Classes define the structure.
✕This is a very complicated class to understand.
✓This is a complex class to understand.— While both are grammatically correct, very complicated is less common in tech English; use complex or complicated without the intensifier.

Other forms

noun

class

"The User class defines how users are represented in the system."

noun

classes

"We have designed five core classes for the payment module."

adjective

class-based

"Python supports class-based object-oriented programming."

Often used with

create a classTo define and write a new class in code
inherit from a classTo extend a class and use its properties and methods in a child class
instantiate a classTo create an object instance from a class definition
extend a classTo create a subclass that inherits from a parent class
abstract classA class that cannot be instantiated directly but serves as a template for subclasses
class definitionThe code that declares and defines a class and its members
class memberAny property or method that belongs to a class

Similar words

typeMore general; class is more specific to OOP
object templateDescriptive but less technical; class is the standard programming term
blueprintInformal analogy; class is the formal programming term

Opposites

instanceobject

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Practice

Try it

4 quick exercises

Pick the most natural phrasing

1. Your colleague asks what you were working on. Which sounds most natural?

Complete the sentence

2. We need to _______ the UserService class to add new authentication features.

Spot the mistake

3. Which sentence uses class incorrectly?

Rewrite naturally

4. Rewrite this using class: 'We need to make a blueprint that defines what a product looks like and what it can do.'

Questions

Quick poll

Have you said "class" in a standup this week?

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