Definition: Taxonomy is a method by which organisms are classified or ordered into families, genera, orders, phyla, classes, and higher-level taxa to facilitate better understanding and categorization in various disciplines such as biology, geology, medicine, botany, linguistics, etc. A taxonomic system consists of a hierarchical classification system based on the characteristics of an organism. It distinguishes between organisms of a particular family or order, which is more specific than one without that name; a genus, more general than one with that name; and a class, less specific than one but broader than one. A higher-level taxonomic rank assigns specific criteria to distinguish different taxa. In taxonomy, the "taxon" refers to an organism and its classification into a group of organisms based on their characteristics. The taxon may be any combination of genus, species, subfamily, family, order, class, etc., which is also referred to as the "classifying scheme."