Because it orbits inside Earth's orbit, Venus is classed as what type of planet?

Because its orbit lies inside Earth’s orbit around the Sun, Venus is classified as an inferior planet.

In this terminology, “inferior” does not mean smaller, less important, or physically lower. It describes a planet whose orbit is closer to the Sun than Earth’s. The category includes Mercury and Venus. Planets whose orbits lie outside Earth’s are called superior planets, including Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

The distinction began in ancient geocentric astronomy, where Mercury and Venus behaved differently from the outer planets in their apparent motions and positions relative to the Sun. Nicolaus Copernicus later gave the terms their modern orbital meaning by comparing each planet’s orbit with Earth’s.

Venus is also called an inner planet, but that phrase is not identical in every context. “Inner planet” often refers to the rocky planets inside the asteroid belt, while “inferior planet” specifically compares an orbit with Earth’s. Venus is therefore both an inner planet and an inferior planet.