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.
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 Directors Guild honor is a key indicator of success in the best director category at the Academy Awards on March 15.
—
Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Wood also served as a visible leader and spokesperson for the category, working closely with elite athletes across track, field, and road racing to translate performance insight into scalable innovation.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
This newfound flexibility in the fragrance category feels especially resonant at a moment when, as Lim describes, the era of committing to a single signature fragrance has given way to a more fluid approach—one defined by choice and context.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
And that's your Charlie, that's your Kyle, put Colby in that category, the all-American hero, right?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for category
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Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 9 Feb. 2026
Wood also served as a visible leader and spokesperson for the category, working closely with elite athletes across track, field, and road racing to translate performance insight into scalable innovation.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
This newfound flexibility in the fragrance category feels especially resonant at a moment when, as Lim describes, the era of committing to a single signature fragrance has given way to a more fluid approach—one defined by choice and context.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
And that's your Charlie, that's your Kyle, put Colby in that category, the all-American hero, right?
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for category
Cite this Entry
“Category.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/category. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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