1. An operation that segregates items into groups according to a specified criterion
   "the bottleneck in mail delivery is the process of sorting";
   - sort
    
2. The basic cognitive process of arranging into classes or categories
   "The librarian's sorting of books made them easy to find";
   - classification, categorization, categorisation [Brit]
    
3. Grouping by class, kind or size
   "The sorting of mail is largely automated now"; "Careful sorting of recyclables helps reduce waste"

1. Arrange or order by classes or categories
   "How would you sort these pottery shards—are they prehistoric?";
   - classify, class, assort, sort out, separate
    
2. Examine in order to test suitability
   "sort these samples";
   - screen, screen out, sieve
    
3. [informal] Resolve or deal with a problem or difficult situation
   "The problem was sorted by the end of the day"; "They managed to sort their differences";
   - sort out [informal]

Derived forms: sortings

Type of: basic cognitive process, categorise [Brit], categorize, choose, grouping, operation, pick out, select, take

Encyclopedia: Sorting