categorize

verb

cat·​e·​go·​rize ˈka-ti-gə-ˌrīz How to pronounce categorize (audio)
categorized; categorizing
Synonyms of categorize

transitive verb

: to put into a category : classify
Birds are categorized by type in this field manual.
categorization
ˌka-ti-gə-rə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce categorize (audio)
noun
categorizable
ˌka-ti-gə-ˈrī-zə-bəl How to pronounce categorize (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of categorize

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Examples of categorize in a Sentence

This software lets you categorize your photographs in many different ways. Their opinions can be categorized as conservative. Birds are categorized by type in this field guide.
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.
Last week the Department of Health and Human Services posted a request for public input on how vaccines are categorized. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 25 Aug. 2026 Granted, Mercury can scatter itself across too many possibilities, which is where Virgo comes in to sort, edit, categorize and ultimately improve the situation. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 In cases where experts didn’t have enough information to reach a strong conclusion, ProPublica did not categorize those deaths as preventable. — Audrey Dutton, ProPublica, 25 Aug. 2026 This revealed that the globular clusters at the heart of our galaxy can be categorized in three distinct ways based upon their age and their metallicity, a measure of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, which astronomers refer to as metals. — Robert Lea, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for categorize

Word History

Etymology

see category

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of categorize was in 1705

Rhymes for categorize

See All Rhymes for categorize

Browse Nearby Words

categorization
categorize
category
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Cite this Entry

“Categorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/categorize. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

categorize

verb
cat·​e·​go·​rize ˈkat-i-gə-ˌrīz How to pronounce categorize (audio)
categorized; categorizing
: to put into a category : classify
categorization
ˌkat-i-gə-rə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce categorize (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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