categorize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to arrange in categories or classes; classify.
-
to describe by labeling or giving a name to; characterize.
verb
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The film’s title translates to “national treasure,” another clichéd term thrown around when trying to categorize greatness.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2026
This administration is not the first to use AI; federal agencies have been gradually stitching the technology into their work for years, including to translate documents, analyze data and categorize public comments, among other uses.
From Salon • Feb. 2, 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
Companies that utilize AI to categorize their workforce will be seen by investors as stronger investments.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026
Gender, a grammatical term for “kind,” describes the ways some languages categorize nouns and pronouns as masculine, feminine, or neuter.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
