Definition of categorical
1 : absolute, unqualified a categorical denial
2a : of, relating to, or constituting a categoryb : involving, according with, or considered with respect to specific categories a categorical system for classifying books
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Examples of categorical in a Sentence
He issued a categorical denial about his involvement in the deal.
a categorical denial of the rumors that the celebrities were planning to get married
Recent Examples of categorical from the Web
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Among those unknowns is when the General Assembly might pass a state budget and when the district might receive $15.3 million in state categorical payments, which partially fund special education services.
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These promises have turned out to be less than categorical.
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Superintendent Todd Stirn said it is owed categorical payments, about $2.1 million from the state.
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A year later, Leon Jaworski, the Watergate special prosecutor, took a less categorical position.
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Categorical parceling weakens the collective voice.
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The White House also proposes nearly halving categorical grants, which support state and local efforts to address everything from pesticide exposure to air and water quality, to $597 million. ...
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Some of the biggest cuts would go to categorical grants for science and technology and environmental program and management spending, which would face 40% and 35% decreases, respectively.
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State aid payments are scheduled by statute, but categorical payments are not governed by the law or a court order, Pallasch said.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'categorical.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
The ancestor of categorical and category has been important in logic and philosophy since the days of Aristotle. Both English words derive from Greek katēgoria, which Aristotle used to name the 10 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 their role in understanding the world. High-level philosophical disputes aside, the word categorical continues to refer to an absolute assertion, one that involves no conditions or hypotheses (for example, the statement "all humans are mortal").
Origin and Etymology of categorical
Late Latin categoricus, from Greek katēgorikos, from katēgoria —see category
CATEGORICAL Defined for English Language Learners
categorical
playDefinition of categorical for English Language Learners
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: said in a very strong, clear, and definite way
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See words that rhyme with categorical Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for categorical Spanish Central: Translation of categorical Nglish: Translation of categorical for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of categorical for Arabic speakers
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