sort Definition
- 1a category of people or things with a common feature; a type.
- 2arrange systematically in groups; separate according to type, class, etc.
Using sort: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "sort" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
What sort of music do you like?
Example
I need to sort my clothes before packing.
Example
He's not the sort of person who would lie.
Example
She sorted the books into alphabetical order.
Example
The company sorts its employees into different departments.
sort Synonyms and Antonyms
Phrases with sort
Example
We saw all sorts of animals at the zoo.
Example
The party was a success of a sort, but not many people showed up.
used to suggest that something is not exactly as stated, or that the speaker is not sure about what they are saying
Example
I'm sort of tired. / It's sort of like a bicycle, but with three wheels.
Origins of sort
from Old French 'sorte', meaning 'kind'
Summary: sort in Brief
The word 'sort' [sɔːt] refers to a category of people or things with a common feature, such as 'What sort of music do you like?' It can also mean to arrange systematically in groups, exemplified by 'She sorted the books into alphabetical order.' The phrase 'all sorts of' means many different kinds of, while 'of a sort' suggests something is not very good or not very much like the thing that was expected. 'Sort of' is used to suggest that something is not exactly as stated or that the speaker is not sure about what they are saying.