category

noun

cat·​e·​go·​ry ˈka-tə-ˌgȯr-ē How to pronounce category (audio)
plural categories
Synonyms of category
1
: any of several fundamental and distinct classes to which entities or concepts belong
Taxpayers fall into one of several categories.
2
: a division within a system of classification
She competed for the award in her age category.

Synonyms of category

Relevance
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Examples of category in a Sentence

The cars belong to the same category. Taxpayers fall into one of several categories. She competed for the award in her age category.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Saunders said skin care in particular is an important category for Boots. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Aug. 2026 Real-time indices, meanwhile, may suffer from inadequate representation across CPI categories. — David Zhang, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Our work shows that expressive cues appear to shift how people perceive a mistake out of the category of technical malfunction and into the category of social violation, like those that happen between people. — Yigit Topoglu, The Conversation, 3 Aug. 2026 Martha was nominated for awards in multiple categories at the 2006 ceremony. — Janine Henni, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for category

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin categoria, from Greek katēgoria predication, category, from katēgorein to accuse, affirm, predicate, from kata- + agora public assembly, from ageirein to gather

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of category was in 1588

Rhymes for category

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Browse Nearby Words

categorize
category
category killer
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Cite this Entry

“Category.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/category. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

category

noun
cat·​e·​go·​ry ˈkat-ə-ˌgōr-ē How to pronounce category (audio)
-ˌgȯr-
plural categories
1
: one of the divisions or groupings used in a system of classification
"species" and "genus" are biological categories
2
: class entry 1 sense 3a, kind

More from Merriam-Webster on category

Nglish: Translation of category for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about category

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