pi·geon·hole
ˈpi-jən-ˌhōl 
1
: a hole or small recess for pigeons to nest
2
: a small open compartment (as in a desk or cabinet) for keeping letters or documents
3
: a neat category which usually fails to reflect actual complexities
pigeonholed; pigeonholing; pigeonholes
1
a
: to place in or as if in the pigeonhole of a desk
b
: to lay aside : shelve
his reports continued to be pigeonholed and his advice not taken—
Walter Mills
Walter Mills2
: to assign to an often restrictive category : classify
Examples of pigeonhole in a Sentence
Verb
She likes to perform different types of music because she doesn't want to be pigeonholed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
But the pigeonhole principle isn’t just for the birds.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Margaret Qualley, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
The fact that Leaper doesn’t pigeonhole her stories into any one decade or era of modeling means readers can witness just how much has changed in this field of work — for better or for worse.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
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Noun
Dover is a company made up of a portfolio of different end markets and should not be held to a data center pigeonhole.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2025
But the pigeonhole principle isn’t just for the birds.
—Ben Brubaker, Quanta Magazine, 4 Apr. 2025
Verb
Those words reverberated with an entire generation of women who for too long have been pigeonholed or underestimated.
—Margaret Qualley, Glamour, 22 Oct. 2025
The fact that Leaper doesn’t pigeonhole her stories into any one decade or era of modeling means readers can witness just how much has changed in this field of work — for better or for worse.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pigeonhole
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonhole.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pigeonhole. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pigeonhole
1 of 2 noun
pi·geon·hole
-ˌhōl
: a small open compartment (as in a desk) for keeping letters or papers
pigeonhole
2 of 2 verb1
: to place in or as if in the pigeonhole of a desk
2
: to assign to a usually restrictive category
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