categorical
adjective
Did you know?
The ancestor of categorical and category has been important in logic and philosophy since the days of Aristotle. Both English words come from the Greek word katēgoria, which Aristotle used to name the ten fundamental classes (also called "predications" or "assertions") of terms, things, or ideas into which he felt human knowledge could be organized. Ironically, although those categories and things categorical are supposed to be absolute and fundamental, philosophers have long argued about the number and type of categories that exist and the role they play in our understanding of the world. High-level philosophical disputes aside, the word categorical continues to sometimes describe an absolute assertion, one that involves no conditions or hypotheses—for example, the statement "hot dogs are sandwiches all humans are mortal."
Examples of categorical in a Sentence
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 13 Sep. 2025
However, Brentwood city staff had determined that the project qualifies for a categorical exemption.
—Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Between 2005 and 2018, over 82% of the U.S. Forest Service’s land management projects were approved using categorical exclusions.
—Tony Cheng, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2025
Officials on Wednesday ran down a categorical list of what the PLA will show off on September 3.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for categorical
Cite this Entry
“Categorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/categorical. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
categorical
adjective
Share