category

category — noun

1. a group of items, people, or ideas that are all considered together because they

1.nounB2
Definition

a group of items, people, or ideas that are all considered together because they share one or more qualities, as part of an organized system used for sorting, studying, or discussing them

Example

The library divides its books into categories such as fiction, history, and science.

collocation: divide into categories

This year's music awards added a new category for Latin pop albums.

collocation: add a new category

Common collocations
  • fall into a category
  • belong to a category
  • fit into a category
  • divide into categories
  • separate category
  • different category
  • same category
  • category of
  • age category
  • price category
  • product category
  • job category
Synonyms
  • class

    Often suggests a hierarchical or ranked grouping (e.g. first-class, business class)

  • type

    More general and informal; focuses on shared characteristics rather than formal system boundaries

  • group

    Broader and less technical; does not necessarily imply a classifying system

  • classification

    Emphasizes the act or system of categorizing rather than the category itself

Grammar Patterns

fall into + category

belong to + category

in + the + same/different + category

category + of + noun

Usage Note

Countable noun. Often used with the prepositions 'in' (already assigned to a category), 'into' (moving to a category), and 'under' (listed as part of a category). Frequently follows verbs like 'fall', 'belong', 'fit', 'divide', and 'classify'.

Common Mistakes

This kind of music is not by the same category as jazz.
This kind of music is not in the same category as jazz.
Use 'in' (not 'by') to express membership in a category.
Shoes are one category of the product that we sell.
Shoes are a product category that we sell.
'Product category' is the natural compound noun order in English.

Word family

  • categorize
    verbB2
  • categorization
    nounC1
  • categorical
    adjectiveC1
  • categorically
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe a grouping of items that share features, but they differ in formality and scope. 'Category' is the most systematic and neutral term, often used in formal or technical contexts such as science, business, or administration — you sort products into categories or classify research under a category. 'Type' is common in everyday speech and focuses on essential qualities that define something (e.g. what type of coffee do you drink?). 'Class' often implies a ranked or hierarchical division, such as social class or first-class travel. 'Kind' and 'sort' are the most informal and general; they work in casual conversation but can sound vague in writing. For example, you would say 'What category does this word belong to?' in linguistics, but 'What kind of music do you like?' in conversation.

category ↗type ↗class ↗kind ↗sort ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • fall into a category
  • belong to a category
  • fit into a category
  • divide into categories
  • broad category of

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'category' traces back to the Greek 'kategoria' (κατηγορία), which originally meant 'accusation' or 'assertion'. The philosopher Aristotle used it in a specialized sense to refer to the most basic classes of things that can be talked about — such as substance, quantity, and quality. Latin borrowed the term as 'categoria', and French passed it into English as 'catégorie' in the 1500s. Over the centuries, the meaning broadened from a technical philosophical term to the everyday idea of any group of items that share common features.