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

Asian cinema accounts for 96 films, women directed 41, and 20 are official entries for the international feature category at the 99th Academy Awards. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 1 Oct. 2026

It’s been a mixed bag of depressing and good; in the latter category is that my skin has never been better. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 1 Oct. 2026

The combined implication of transitivity and the infinitive verb is that, speaking conceptually, the artist engages a category of encounter that is absolute, while process and contingency govern the actuality of the work as a function of time. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Today’s Color-Changing Beauty Lineup The category has blown way past one iconic bullet. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 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