Standard Lemma guide

categorical

adj · noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌkætəˈɡɒɹɪk(ə)l/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, General-American: /ˌkætəˈɡɔɹɪk(ə)l/
  • /ˌkæhəˈɡaɹɪk(ə)l/ Dublin
  • /ˌkæʔəˈɡaɹɪk(ə)l/ Dublin
  • CMU ARPABET: K AE2 T AH0 G AA1 R IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: K AE2 T AH0 G AO1 R IH0 K AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Absolute; having no exception.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Of, pertaining to, or using a category or categories.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A categorical proposition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: human-sciences, logic, mathematics, philosophy, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

relating to or included in a category or categories

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: categoric

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

not modified or restricted by reservations

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a categorical denial
  • a flat refusal

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: categoric, flat, unconditional

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Late Latin catēgoricus + -al. By surface analysis, category + -ical.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: окончателен (okončatelen) — absolute; having no exception
  • Bulgarian: безусловен (bezusloven) — absolute; having no exception
  • Catalan: categòric — absolute; having no exception
  • Czech: kategorický — absolute; having no exception
  • Danish: kategorisk — absolute; having no exception
  • French: catégorique — absolute; having no exception
  • Georgian: კატეგორიული (ḳaṭegoriuli) — absolute; having no exception
  • German: kategorisch — absolute; having no exception
  • Hungarian: kategorikus — absolute; having no exception
  • Italian: categoriale — absolute; having no exception
  • Japanese: 無条件の (mujōken no) — absolute; having no exception
  • Japanese: 例外無き (reigainaki) — absolute; having no exception
  • Pannonian Rusyn: катеґорични (kategorični) — absolute; having no exception
  • Polish: kategoryczny — absolute; having no exception
  • Portuguese: categórico — absolute; having no exception
  • Portuguese: taxativo — absolute; having no exception
  • Romanian: categoric — absolute; having no exception
  • Russian: категори́ческий (kategoríčeskij) — absolute; having no exception
  • Spanish: tajante — absolute; having no exception
  • Spanish: taxativo — absolute; having no exception
  • Swedish: kategorisk — absolute; having no exception
  • Ukrainian: категори́чний (katehorýčnyj) — absolute; having no exception
  • Bulgarian: категоричен (kategoričen) — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • French: catégoriel — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • French: catégorielle — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • German: kategorisch — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Italian: categoriale — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Japanese: 分類上の (bunruijō no) — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Pannonian Rusyn: катеґорийни (kategorijni) — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Pannonian Rusyn: катеґорийски (kategorijski) — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Portuguese: categórico — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Romanian: categorial — of, pertaining to, or using categories
  • Tagalog: mulisipin — of, pertaining to, or using categories