categorically
Americanadverb
-
without exception; unconditionally; absolutely.
Authorities have categorically denied that any violence took place.
My colleagues didn't merely dislike the music, they categorically declared it wretched.
-
by means of or with respect to a category.
If a child is not categorically eligible, the child may still qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income.
Other Word Forms
- noncategorically adverb
- uncategorically adverb
Etymology
Origin of categorically
Explanation
Categorically means in a way that's so clear that it's impossible to be confused or uncertain. When your sister categorically warns you against snooping in her diary, there's no mistaking what she means. If you categorically deny knowing anything about who ate the last chocolate chip cookie, you state clearly and directly: "I did not eat that cookie, and I have no idea who did." In fact, anything you do or say categorically is done or said unambiguously and unconditionally. This adverb comes from categorical, "asserting absolutely," and its Greek source kategorikos, "accusatory or affirmative."
Vocabulary lists containing categorically
Animal Farm
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The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
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The Gene
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The lawsuit claims The Atlantic went ahead with their story “despite being expressly warned, hours before publication, that the central allegations were categorically false” and “despite having abundant publicly available information contradicting those allegations.”
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
I had to accept that it’s an unusual voice to listen to, and that it is categorically harder to make myself heard.
From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026
“The allegations being circulated on social media by Ruby Rose about Katy Perry are not only categorically false, they are dangerous reckless lies,” Perry’s rep said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has told the BBC the government "categorically" did not change its deal with resident doctors to end ongoing industrial action over pay and jobs.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
I had seen lots of Persians drink their tea this way—sipping it through a cube of sugar—but I was categorically opposed to sweetening tea in any way.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
