pigeonhole

1 of 2

noun

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

pigeonhole

2 of 2

verb

pigeonholed; pigeonholing; pigeonholes

transitive verb

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

2

: to assign to an often restrictive category : classify

pigeonholer

ˈpi-jən-ˌhō-lər 

noun

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

Noun

And to his credit, Leitch escapes that pigeonhole … only to get trapped in another. —Will Leitch, Vulture, 24 June 2024

And even those films starring endlessly reincarnating supernatural psycho slashers chasing nubile coeds aren’t so simple to pigeonhole politically. —David Colman, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Oct. 2024

Verb

Miscommunication or rigid roles often lead to isolation, where people are pigeonholed based on age or assumptions rather than their actual interests or expertise. —Francois Botha, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024

He was used as a No 10, a left-sided No 8, a centre-forward and off the left wing that season because Arsenal did not want to pigeonhole him. —Art De Roché, The Athletic, 31 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1577, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pigeonhole

• put (someone) in a pigeonhole

Kids 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 verb

1

: to place in or as if in the pigeonhole of a desk

2

: to assign to a usually restrictive category