categorical
Americanadjective
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without exceptions or conditions; absolute; unqualified and unconditional.
a categorical denial.
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Logic.
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(of a proposition) analyzable into a subject and an attribute related by a copula, as in the proposition “All humans are mortal.”
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(of a syllogism) having categorical propositions as premises.
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of, relating to, or in a category.
adjective
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unqualified; positive; unconditional
a categorical statement
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relating to or included in a category
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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.
Trying to look manly and tough when your entire regime, from the top on down, consists of shifty characters with a wide range of obvious personality disorders might seem like a categorical error.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 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
Dr. Cohen's research demonstrates that traditional categorical systems fail to reflect underlying biological realities or clinical presentations adequately.
From Science Daily • Oct. 14, 2025
Could he give a categorical assurance that the next time he meets these MPs there won't have been another scandal?
From BBC • Sep. 9, 2025
It was the first time the Court had issued a categorical ban on a punishment other than the death penalty.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
