categorical

adjective

cat·e·gor·i·cal | \ ˌka-tə-ˈgȯr-i-kəl

, -ˈgär-\

variants: or less commonly categoric \ ˌka-tə-ˈgȯr-ik

, -ˈgär- \

Definition of categorical

1 : absolute, unqualified a categorical denial

2a : of, relating to, or constituting a category

b : involving, according with, or considered with respect to specific categories a categorical system for classifying books

Other Words from categorical Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about categorical

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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").

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 on the Web

Proving those types of categorical distinctions is among the hardest and most important open problems in the field. — Quanta Magazine, "A Short Guide to Hard Problems," 16 July 2018 The court is categorical in rejecting this argument. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Marquette’s Black Eye," 6 July 2018 That means creating mountains of personal stuff in categorical heaps and owning up to mankind’s extraordinary ability to accumulate. — Lonnie Firestone, Glamour, "It Took a Fire in My Building to Understand Marie Kondo's Method," 15 Jan. 2019 To compile our list of the best humidifiers, The Good Housekeeping Institute identified five great picks based upon our categorical knowledge in this category. — Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, "The Best Humidifiers to Buy This Winter," 20 Dec. 2018 At this point, the next logical step is for the committee to follow up on this allegation and the categorical denial from the judge. — Fox News, "Kevin Hassett talks corporate tax cut, rising wages," 24 Sep. 2018 Apple and Amazon, for their part, responded with unusually specific and categorical denials. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Bloomberg stands by Chinese chip story as Apple, Amazon ratchet up denials," 5 Oct. 2018 The team is less categorical in recommendations for a large new reactor, known as the experimental light-water reactor, now being started up at Yongbyon. — New York Times, "North Korea Nuclear Disarmament Could Take 15 Years, Expert Warns," 28 May 2018 The curtilage and rental cases were argued on the same day, Jan. 9, suggesting the justices were focused on paring back categorical powers that police have claimed to search vehicles without warrants. — Jess Bravin, WSJ, "Police Need Warrants to Search Vehicles at Private Homes, High Court Rules," 29 May 2018

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.