subcategory

American  

[suhb-kat-uh-gawr-ee, -gohr-ee] / sʌbˈkæt əˌgɔr i, -ˌgoʊr i /

noun

plural

subcategories

1. a subordinate category or a division of a category.

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Etymology

Origin of subcategory

sub- + category

Example Sentences

Now, investors can look up which banks are the largest lenders to so-called “business credit intermediaries”—a subcategory that includes lending to business-development companies, or BDCs.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Every major subcategory, from such emerging market and high-yield bonds to Treasuries and bank loans, has generated positive returns.

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

"It obviously depends on the subcategory you're looking at, but French cheese and wine producers will benefit," he says.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2024

A notable similarity marks a subcategory of once woefully under-recognized female artists of the past.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2024

Middlemen are a different story because most of them belong to the active subcategory.

From After the Rain : how the West lost the East by Vaknin, Samuel