as in categorizing
disapproving
to unfairly think of or describe (someone or something) as belonging to only a certain category
She likes to perform different types of music because she doesn't want to be pigeonholed.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pigeonholing
Whether your perception of Gen Z is shaped by real-world interactions or two-dimensional headlines, pigeonholing a whole generation is reductive.
—
Alex Cooper, Fortune, 16 May 2026
McCurdy cautions against classifying Holiday as a blues singer and pigeonholing her into an age and culture.
—Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
The broader appeal and usefulness of the Dashaway eCT are just too dramatic to dedicate more time pigeonholing himself into a restrictive niche.
—New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025
Leibovitz has always resisted pigeonholing.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Alex Cooper, Fortune, 16 May 2026
McCurdy cautions against classifying Holiday as a blues singer and pigeonholing her into an age and culture.
—Daniella Walsh, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
The broader appeal and usefulness of the Dashaway eCT are just too dramatic to dedicate more time pigeonholing himself into a restrictive niche.
—New Atlas, 28 Oct. 2025
Leibovitz has always resisted pigeonholing.
—Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pigeonholing
Verb
-
Despite the proximity, the space rock poses no danger, according to Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the inventor of the Torino Scale, a tool for categorizing potential collisions of space objects with Earth.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
ChatGPT will then begin syncing and categorizing data, which may take a few minutes.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
There's an emerging market for concierge and longevity clinics, where physicians are offering unregulated peptides by classifying them as supplements rather than as drugs to enhance specific functions rather than treat disease.—
Teresa Maalouf,
Verywell Health,
12 May 2026
-
But as other reality-TV subgenres similarly flourished over the two-plus decades since, the Emmys responded by micro-classifying the shows and pushing most of them to the Creative Arts ceremony.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
And in his rookie season the opposing offense ran at him consistently, relegating him to a pass rusher.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
Lens beat Nantes 1-0 on Friday, guaranteeing a spot in next season's Champions League and relegating eight-time French champion Nantes to Ligue 2.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The event has been criticized as promoting Christian nationalism and obscuring the lines separating church and state.—
Chandelis Duster,
NPR,
17 May 2026
-
The nation’s tradition of separating church and state, however, was not on display.—
Tiffany Stanley,
Los Angeles Times,
17 May 2026
Verb
-
Others are better at identifying trends.—
Robert Daugherty,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2026
-
Bailey was born male but had undergone a name change and had been identifying as female before the attack.—
Kelsie Cairns,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pigeonholing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pigeonholing. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
