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Definition of category

category

/ˈkæt̬.ə.ɡɔːr.i/
cat · e · go · ry
Adverb:categorically
•
Plural:categories
•
Adjective:categorical
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category Lexical Profile

category Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

A class or division of people or things regarded as having particular shared characteristics.

Example

"The library organizes its collection into several distinct categories based on subject matter."

2

One of a possibly exhaustive set of classes among which all things might be distributed in a philosophical system, such as those proposed by Aristotle or Kant.

Example

"In Kantian philosophy, causality and substance are fundamental categories of human understanding."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for category

• Rhymes for category

• Nearby Words

categorizable
categorization
categorize
category
cater
caterer
catering

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the 15th century from Late Latin categoria, from Ancient Greek kategoria ('accusation, prediction, or attribute'), coined as a philosophical term by Aristotle from kata ('down, against') and agoreuein ('to declaim in the public assembly').

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Category. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/category
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