category
noun
cat·e·go·ry
ˈka-tə-ˌgȯr-ē 
plural categories
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.
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
The playmaker, who played college football at the University of Arizona, has been among the league’s leaders in receiving yards throughout the season, and is currently the leader among NFL rookies in that category.
—
Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 4 Jan. 2026
Visit Lauderdale’s audience falls into the luxury travel category.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
Only Oklahoma City Thunder guards Ajay Mitchell (plus 218) and Alex Caruso (plus 207), Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (plus 175), and Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (plus 156) rank ahead of Jaquez in this category.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
Simon & Schuster reclassified the book as fiction and, to the firm’s surprise, more orders poured in—the following week, the book topped the best-seller list again, in its new category.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for category
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.
Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 4 Jan. 2026
Visit Lauderdale’s audience falls into the luxury travel category.
—David Lyons, Sun Sentinel, 3 Jan. 2026
Only Oklahoma City Thunder guards Ajay Mitchell (plus 218) and Alex Caruso (plus 207), Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (plus 175), and Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (plus 156) rank ahead of Jaquez in this category.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026
Simon & Schuster reclassified the book as fiction and, to the firm’s surprise, more orders poured in—the following week, the book topped the best-seller list again, in its new category.
—Michael Waters, New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for category
Cite this Entry
“Category.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/category. Accessed 4 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
category
noun
cat·e·go·ry
ˈkat-ə-ˌgōr-ē
-ˌgȯr-
plural categories
1
: one of the divisions or groupings used in a system of classification
"species" and "genus" are biological categories
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share