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

• 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

The show is facing off against Andor, The Diplomat, The Last of Us, Paradise, The Pitt, Slow Horses, and The White Lotus in the Outstanding Drama Series category. —Rebecca Detken, EW.com, 12 Sep. 2025

Only vote once per category, per day. —Miami Herald, 12 Sep. 2025

This combination puts it ahead of many portable monitors in its category. —Matt Emma, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025

For the Olympics, tickets start at around 30 euros, with most under 100 euros (though some premium seats for the most popular spots can cost as much as 1,400 euros), with pricing varying by event, session, and category. —Tiana Attride, AFAR Media, 12 Sep. 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

Rhymes for category

• allegory
• amatory
• auditory
• clerestory
• crematory
• desultory
• dilatory
• dormitory
• excretory
• extempore
• feudatory
• gustatory

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