categorical
Americanadjective
-
without exceptions or conditions; absolute; unqualified and unconditional.
a categorical denial.
-
Logic.
-
(of a proposition) analyzable into a subject and an attribute related by a copula, as in the proposition “All humans are mortal.”
-
(of a syllogism) having categorical propositions as premises.
-
-
of, relating to, or in a category.
adjective
-
unqualified; positive; unconditional
a categorical statement
-
relating to or included in a category
-
logic another word for categorial
Other Word Forms
- categorically adverb
- categoricalness noun
- noncategorical adjective
- noncategoricalness noun
- uncategorical adjective
- uncategoricalness noun
Etymology
Origin of categorical
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin catēgoric(us) (from Greek katēgorikós; category, -ic ) + -al 1
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.
It would be insulting to make broad categorical claims about the Catholic church as a whole.
From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026
He said the committee was aware Royal Mail has previously denied it prioritises parcels, but it wanted "categorical assurance".
From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026
Long existing beyond the boundaries of race, nationhood and categorical art movements, Lam produced a range of work, including graphic design, book illustrations, large Jackson Pollock-inspired abstractions, and expressionistic ceramics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 31, 2026
Against that background, the states in both cases framed the dispute at Tuesday’s oral arguments as one about categorical sex distinctions, not transgender status.
From Slate • Jan. 14, 2026
All the air of the fourteenth floor was sibilant with the categorical imperative.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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.
