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.

Synonyms of category

• type
• kind

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

Carter’s preseason odds have been in the top 10 in this category by multiple sportsbooks. — Zach Berman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026

ICEBox is an all-in-one, emergency and estate planner that organizes more than 35 categories of essential documents, accounts, keys and instructions for both you and your next of kin. — ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026

And despite that thinner cushion, betting households posted stronger card-spending growth in July than non-betting households, in both discretionary and necessity categories. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2026

These apps have features like investment account syncing, net worth tracking and custom spending categories that adapt to retirees’ changing financial needs. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin categoria, from Greek katēgoria predication, category, from katēgorein to accuse, affirm, predicate, from kata- + agora public assembly, from ageirein to gather

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for category

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• feudatory
• gustatory
• gyratory

Kids 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

2

: class entry 1 sense 3a, kind