Ticonderoga and the wartime meaning of a cruiser

Would you classify the Ticonderoga class as cruisers, and does the cruiser label still apply today?

The Ticonderogas are described here as destroyer leaders on a destroyer hull. This interpretation reserves cruiser for a larger general-purpose combatant, distinct from a frigate's usual ASW focus or a destroyer's air-defence and land-attack focus.

The Ticonderogas are described here as destroyer leaders built on a destroyer hull. The broader classification argument depends on wartime duties because frigates, destroyers and cruisers all perform cruising roles in peacetime. In wartime, the label indicates the engagements a ship is expected to handle alone and its role within a task force. A frigate is usually centered on anti-submarine warfare, while a destroyer usually emphasizes air defence or land attack. A cruiser, in this interpretation, is a general-purpose ship larger than most destroyers.