categorize

American  

[kat-i-guh-rahyz] / ˈkæt ɪ gəˌraɪz /

especially British, categorise

verb (used with object)

categorized, categorizing

1. to arrange in categories or classes; classify.

2. to describe by labeling or giving a name to; characterize.

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categorize British  

/ ˈkætɪɡəˌraɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to place in a category; classify

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Other Word Forms

• categorist noun
• categorization noun
• decategorization noun
• decategorize verb (used with object)
• miscategorize verb (used with object)
• miscategorized adjectivemiscategorized, miscategorizing
• recategorize verb (used with object)
• subcategorization noun
• uncategorized adjective

Etymology

Origin of categorize

First recorded in 1695–1705; categor(y) + -ize

Example Sentences

Adams was reluctant to categorize his sensibility, but he acknowledged that he gravitated toward plays “that have some invitation for design innovation while being centered on human beings.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

There’s been little new science on the 19 peptides since the FDA’s 2023 decision to categorize them as unsafe.

From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026

Apps like Rocket Money can link bank accounts, categorize spending habits and flag unused subscriptions.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

The model requires human input, but once trained, the AI can categorize parts at a speed and scale that human workers could never match, Demaree said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

There was gray in his hair, though he was not old; three syllables, she thought, trying to categorize him in some way that would perhaps explain his presence.

From "Gathering Blue" by Lois Lowry

Related Words

• classify
• pigeonhole