variants
also categoric
as in unconditional
having no exceptions or restrictions
a categorical denial of the rumors that the celebrities were planning to get married
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of categorical
Once a senior official declares something with categorical certainty, the system can feel pressure – sometimes subtle, sometimes overt – to validate the headline.
—
Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
With no cup football or match load to hide behind, this was a firm, categorical choice by Farke to make Darlow his first choice and Perri his back-up.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Psychological distress rarely maps cleanly onto categorical diagnoses.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Hegseth has loosely moderated his once categorical opposition to women serving in ground combat roles after years of arguing that women should be excluded from front-line units.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for categorical
Brian O'Neill, The Conversation, 5 Feb. 2026
With no cup football or match load to hide behind, this was a firm, categorical choice by Farke to make Darlow his first choice and Perri his back-up.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2026
Psychological distress rarely maps cleanly onto categorical diagnoses.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Hegseth has loosely moderated his once categorical opposition to women serving in ground combat roles after years of arguing that women should be excluded from front-line units.
—Steven Beynon, ABC News, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for categorical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for categorical
Adjective
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The filmmaker ultimately sees it as a story about unconditional love.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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To that effect, partners today called for the immediate and unconditional reopening of the Strait and respect for the fundamental principles of freedom of navigation and the law of the sea.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
These are the absolute best bonds.—
Rita Perwich,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Apr. 2026
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But this team’s elite farm system — perhaps the absolute top in the NHL — will provide exactly that in the years to come.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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On the Base — the area above the sheer cliffs that encircle Tristan and below Queen Mary’s Peak — a group herds sheep down from the mountain.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
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What’s harder to recreate — especially with today’s labor and materials costs — is the level of craftsmanship and the sheer weight of the build, Sadek said.—
David Caraccio
April 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Build buffer time, trim one commitment, then return to the itinerary with even gentler expectations and a simpler packing list.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
2 Apr. 2026
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Parents, guardians, aunts and uncles don't have time to read every book on the shelf while trying to pick something for the young reader in their life, so here are some simple ways to determine if a book is suitable for that child.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
After letting the final Bosnian penalty slip under his reach on Tuesday, Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma remained on his knees, putting his hands on his head in utter disbelief.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
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The transition from agricultural employment to factory employment involved wrenching mass migration, the utter misery of the Great Depression (as well as other brutal recessions, now faded from collective memory), and the painful dealmaking of the New Deal.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There is a definite buzz of excitement at the press site here at the Kennedy Space Center.—
Charlie Gile,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
-
So far, there isn’t definite evidence of a multiverse based on string theory.—
Zachary Slepian,
The Conversation,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The pilot who was receiving instruction had nearly 6,000 total hours of civilian flight experience and more than 200 in the last six months.—
Angie DiMichele,
Sun Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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Polyester remains the dominant fiber globally, accounting for 59 percent of total fiber output, and because these feedstocks remain closely tied to petrochemical and energy markets, sharp price movements are felt across yarn, dyeing, logistics and overall cost planning.—
Assef Shaikh,
Footwear News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Perhaps no other museum cafe in the city is more beloved than the Neue Galerie's Café Sabarsky, a Viennese cafe that seems to transport guests to Austria, circa 1910, complete with lighting fixtures by Josef Hoffmann, furniture by Adolf Loos, and banquettes upholstered with Otto Wagner fabric.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
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His metamorphosis into social scientist-cum-sage appears to be complete.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Categorical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/categorical. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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