categories
English meaning: Categories
Definition
A group, often named or numbered, to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria.
Example
“I wouldn't put this book in the same category as the author's first novel.”
Another example: “Entrants are divided into three age categories.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Plural of 'category'; classes or groups into which things are sorted by shared characteristics. Common in academic, administrative and everyday classification ('product categories', 'age categories'). Neutral register.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Late Latin 'categoria', from Greek 'katēgoria' (a predication, assertion); entered English via French in the 16th century.
Related Words
- dwarfism
- amputation
- palsy
- classifications
- sclerosis
- congenital
- blindness
- impairment
- category
- overlap
Common Collocations
- different categories
- broad categories
- fall into categories
- product categories
- age categories
- sort into categories
Word Forms
category (n, sing.); categories (pl.); categorise/categorize (v); categorical (adj)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B