categorize

categorize — verb

1. to group people, things, or ideas according to shared features or a common type,

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to group people, things, or ideas according to shared features or a common type, making them easier to study or manage

Example

Nadia categorized the seashells she found on the beach by size and colour.

collocation: categorize by [feature]

The library books are categorized into fiction and nonfiction sections.

passive: be categorized into [groups]

Common collocations
  • categorize broadly
  • categorize loosely
  • categorize neatly
  • categorize carefully
  • categorize by type
Synonyms
  • classify

    most direct synonym; interchangeable in most contexts, though 'classify' sometimes implies a more formal or scientific system

  • sort

    less formal, often suggests physical arrangement rather than abstract grouping

  • group

    more general; can mean simply to gather without implying a named category

  • label

    focuses on assigning a name to the group rather than the act of grouping itself

Antonyms
  • mix up

    to put things together without order, the opposite of placing them into distinct groups

Grammar Patterns

categorize + noun phrase

categorize + noun phrase + into + noun phrase

categorize + noun phrase + as + noun phrase

categorize + noun phrase + by + noun phrase

be + categorized

Usage Note

Commonly used in the passive (be categorized). The preposition into introduces the resulting groups, as names the label assigned, and by indicates the classifying principle.

Common Mistakes

The books are categorized to fiction and nonfiction.
The books are categorized into fiction and nonfiction.
Use 'into' (not 'to') after 'categorize' to name the resulting groups.
I would categorize this movie like action.
I would categorize this movie as action.
Use 'as' (not 'like') after 'categorize' to state the classification label.

Word family

  • category
    nounB1
  • categorization
    nounB2
  • categorized
    adjectiveB2
  • uncategorized
    adjectiveC1
  • categorical
    adjectiveC1
  • categorically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve arranging items by shared traits, but they differ in formality and emphasis. Classify is the closest synonym to categorize and is common in academic or scientific contexts ('biologists classify species by genus'). Sort is more informal and often refers to physical organization ('help me sort the laundry by colour'). Group is the broadest term and can mean simply gathering items together without naming the category ('group the test scores by class'). Label emphasizes the act of assigning a name or tag to an item ('the museum labelled each artifact as 'donated' or 'on loan''). Categorize sits closest to classify — both imply a deliberate system — but categorize often feels slightly more general, while classify can carry the nuance of ranking by quality or status.

classify ↗sort ↗group ↗label ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • into categories
  • as a type
  • according to type
  • by size / colour / age / gender

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Categorize comes from the Greek word katēgorein (to accuse, to predicate), which later gave rise to katēgoria (accusation, category). The term entered English via Latin (categoria) and French (catégoriser), and has been used in its modern sense of 'arrange by class' since the 17th century, when philosophers and scientists began applying it to systems of classification.