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
Each puzzle has exactly one solution, so watch out for words or items that seem to belong to multiple categories!
—
Mark Cooper, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Unlike traditional consumer goods companies, Mammoth is less focused on entering specific categories to complement its overall portfolio and instead more interested in customer retention and its growth prospects across e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail, according to Katz-Mayfield.
—Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026
Twenty-four Broadway shows will hope to nab at least one win Sunday across the 26 Tony categories, which can mean the difference between keeping the doors open and pulling down the curtain.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
It was picked to represent France in the Oscars and was nominated in the best international feature category.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for category
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Mark Cooper, New York Times, 8 June 2026
Unlike traditional consumer goods companies, Mammoth is less focused on entering specific categories to complement its overall portfolio and instead more interested in customer retention and its growth prospects across e-commerce and brick-and-mortar retail, according to Katz-Mayfield.
—Amelia Lucas,melissa Repko, CNBC, 7 June 2026
Twenty-four Broadway shows will hope to nab at least one win Sunday across the 26 Tony categories, which can mean the difference between keeping the doors open and pulling down the curtain.
—ABC News, 7 June 2026
It was picked to represent France in the Oscars and was nominated in the best international feature category.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 7 June 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 8 Jun. 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
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