categorize

verb

cat·​e·​go·​rize ˈka-ti-gə-ˌrīz How to pronounce categorize (audio)
categorized; categorizing

transitive verb

: to put into a category : classify
Birds are categorized by type in this field manual.
categorization noun
categorizable adjective

Examples of categorize in a Sentence

This software lets you categorize your photographs in many different ways. Their opinions can be categorized as conservative. Birds are categorized by type in this field guide.
Recent Examples on the Web Further, with both One Thing at a Time and Dangerous: The Double Album categorized as country efforts, Wallen is the first artist to claim two year-end No. 1s on the all-genre Billboard 200 Albums recap with a country album. Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023 The viruses in the study are both categorized as bacteriophages. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 9 Nov. 2023 All of her minimalist fashion collections can be categorized exactly to this new trend. Anna Bader, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2023 Turbulence is typically categorized by four levels of severity, according to the National Weather Service: light, moderate, severe, and extreme. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2023 Legal experts said the decision by prosecutors to pursue terrorism charges marks a significant shift in how certain acts of violence are categorized. Vjosa Isai, New York Times, 16 Nov. 2023 Initially, food agencies didn’t know how to categorize the product, but landed on a rice wine. WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 In 1960, Pew Research Center notes, Americans were able to choose their own race and in 2000, the census changed to allow respondents to choose more than one race to categorize themselves. Janice Gassam Asare, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 But Parton doesn’t sweat the small things — and with a rich career like hers, those offers can be categorized as minor. Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'categorize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see category

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of categorize was in 1705

Dictionary Entries Near categorize

Cite this Entry

“Categorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/categorize. Accessed 9 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

categorize

verb
cat·​e·​go·​rize ˈkat-i-gə-ˌrīz How to pronounce categorize (audio)
categorized; categorizing
: to put into a category : classify
categorization noun

More from Merriam-Webster on categorize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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