subcategory

noun

sub·​cat·​e·​go·​ry ˌsəb-ˈka-tə-ˌgȯr-ē 

plural subcategories

: a category that is a subdivision of a larger category : a secondary category

grouping the books into the appropriate categories and subcategories

A new subcategory of vodkas, which provide a contrast to the "tasteless" aspect of this spirit, are the flavored vodkas …

—Alexis Bespaloff

Examples of subcategory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

More than 43% of all pre-rolled joints are infused with extra THC, which explains Sorting Robotics focus on the subcategory. —Will Yakowicz, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025

Simply use color as a subcategory. —Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 5 Aug. 2025

Thanks to a 1994 law called the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, or DSHEA, supplements are regulated more like a subcategory of foods, not a subcategory of medicine. —Andrea Kane, CNN Money, 15 July 2025

The awards are determined based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings specific to each subcategory posted on Tripadvisor over the 12-month period from January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. —Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1842, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for subcategory

• accusatory
• admonitory
• ambulatory
• amendatory
• celebratory
• circulatory
• combinatory
• commendatory
• compensatory
• condemnatory
• confirmatory
• confiscatory