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

• bracket
• class
• classification
• division
• family
• genus
• grade
• group
• kind
• league
• order
• rank(s)
• rubric
• set
• species
• tier
• type

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

That comes despite 11 tight ends, including those ahead of him in those prior categories, playing more games than him. —Ryan Morik, Fox News, 9 Feb. 2025

He's racked up 27 playoff wins, placing him second only to Bill Belichick in that category. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 8 Feb. 2025

That will not be the case this year, as Wicked director Jon M. Chu scored the Critics Choice Award for best director after being left out of the same category by the Academy. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 8 Feb. 2025

Shōgun and The Bear came into tonight’s awards with three nominations apiece in their respective Dramatic Series and Comedy Series categories, and HBO’s The Penguin also had three noms in the Movies for Television/Limited Series race. —Denise Petski, Deadline, 8 Feb. 2025

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

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