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

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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.
The only group to meet or exceed that benchmark was Asian students, who scored above 75 in all three categories (reading, math and science). — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 Beauty, where product development operates at warp speed comparatively, the beauty executive knows which categories can be fast-tracked to market and which need more time. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 31 Aug. 2026 Why Review Scores Don't Tell the Full Story Car rental platforms generate more negative reviews per transaction than most travel categories, and aggregators tend to absorb complaints that originate at the supplier level. — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Surprisingly, though, the film shows sumo has no weight categories. — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 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 1 Sep. 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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about category

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