as in types
one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic
divide the essays into categories based on difficulty of comprehension
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Recent Examples of categories
On the more playful end of the spectrum, Forty Creek’s Cinnamon Bun Cream Whisky and Crown Royal Chocolate took top spots in the cream and flavored categories.
—
Emily Price, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That stat and the Sinners success is a stark contrast to even six years ago, when no women were nominated as a best director for the BAFTA Film Awards for the seventh year in a row, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting acting categories were white.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
This year, despite those two categories being merged, there’s still a chance that outstanding variety series could yield two — or even more — winners.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Part of the reason is that the DSM’s disorder categories may not reflect how mental illness actually works.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
These two categories previously were merged until 2015, when Outstanding Variety Series was turned into Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Talk Series.
—Peter White, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
The decision, voted on by the Academy’s Board of Governors, has felt inevitable since submissions for both Emmy categories have dwindled in recent years.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
While the final nominations remain up in the air until the official announcement, in December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued its finalist shortlists for a dozen categories, including best documentary feature and best international feature.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
While some categories have specific eligibility requirements, all films need to meet a baseline set of criteria to be considered.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Emily Price, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
That stat and the Sinners success is a stark contrast to even six years ago, when no women were nominated as a best director for the BAFTA Film Awards for the seventh year in a row, and all 20 nominees in the lead and supporting acting categories were white.
—Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 28 Jan. 2026
This year, despite those two categories being merged, there’s still a chance that outstanding variety series could yield two — or even more — winners.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Jan. 2026
Part of the reason is that the DSM’s disorder categories may not reflect how mental illness actually works.
—Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
These two categories previously were merged until 2015, when Outstanding Variety Series was turned into Outstanding Variety Sketch Series and Outstanding Talk Series.
—Peter White, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
The decision, voted on by the Academy’s Board of Governors, has felt inevitable since submissions for both Emmy categories have dwindled in recent years.
—Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 28 Jan. 2026
While the final nominations remain up in the air until the official announcement, in December, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued its finalist shortlists for a dozen categories, including best documentary feature and best international feature.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026
While some categories have specific eligibility requirements, all films need to meet a baseline set of criteria to be considered.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for categories
Noun
-
Aside from including two types of hyaluronic acid, Japanese miru seaweed, volcanic marine ferment, and snow mushrooms, all of which boast anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
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For both order types, groceries will be bagged and customers will be charged a small fee for the bags used.—
Emery Glover,
Des Moines Register,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Materials of all kinds, including handwritten and typewritten pages and microfilm, are kept in neat rows of archival boxes, some stacked six shelves high.—
Natalia Sánchez Loayza,
Scientific American,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Curved Settees Curved settees of all kinds were fixtures of living rooms of decades past.—
Sarah Lyon,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Categories.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/categories. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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