categorical

Also cat·e·gor·ic

[kat-i-gawr-i-kuhl, -gor-]

adjective

1. without exceptions or conditions; absolute; unqualified and unconditional.

   a categorical denial.

   Synonyms: downright, flat, positive

2. Logic.

   1. (of a proposition) analyzable into a subject and an attribute related by a copula, as in the proposition “All humans are mortal.”

   2. (of a syllogism) having categorical propositions as premises.

3. of, relating to, or in a category.

categorical

/ ˌkætɪˈɡɒrɪkəl /

adjective

1. unqualified; positive; unconditional

   a categorical statement

2. relating to or included in a category

3. logic another word for categorial

Other Word Forms

• categoricalness noun
• categorically adverb
• noncategorical adjective
• noncategoricalness noun
• uncategorical adjective
• uncategoricalness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of categorical¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin catēgoric(us) (from Greek katēgorikós; category, -ic ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot was adamant that his country's move was a "categorical rejection" of Hamas but said it was "symbolic, immediate, and political, demonstrating France's commitment to the two-state solution".

From BBC

Could he give a categorical assurance that the next time he meets these MPs there won't have been another scandal?

From BBC

They also stressed their "categorical rejection of any form of displacement of the Palestinian people", describing such an idea as "a gross violation of international law, a crime against humanity and ethnic cleansing".

From BBC

Upon taking office, Trump ordered an end to “all categorical parole programs.”

From Los Angeles Times

The idea won plaudits from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and categorical rejection by America’s Arab and Western allies.

From Salon

Related Words

• absolute 
• clear-cut 
• definite 
• definitive 
• emphatic 
• forthright 
• unambiguous 
• unequivocal