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
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General-American:/ˌkæt.ə.ɡɚ.əˈzeɪ.ʃən/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˌkæt.ə.ɡər.aɪˈzeɪ.ʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K AE2 T AH0 G ER0 IH0 Z EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A group of things arranged by category.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: classification
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: classification, typing
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
the act of distributing things into classes or categories of the same type
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
a group of people or things arranged by class or category
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: classification, categorisation
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: arrangement
Narrower terms: dichotomy, duality, trichotomy
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Indo-European *ḱm̥-th2der.? Proto-Hellenic *kətá Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰ́ (kătắ) Ancient Greek κᾰτᾰ- (kătă-) Proto-Indo-European *h2ger- Proto-Indo-European *h2goréh2 Proto-Hellenic *agorā́ Ancient Greek ᾰ̓γορᾱ́ (ăgorā́) Ancient Greek -εύς (-eús) Ancient Greek -εύω (-eúō) Ancient Greek ἀγορεύω (agoreúō) Ancient Greek κᾰτήγορος (kătḗgoros) Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *-eyéti Proto-Indo-European *-esyéti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh1yeti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti Ancient Greek -έω (-éō) Ancient Greek κᾰτηγορέω (kătēgoréō) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh2 Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā) Ancient Greek κᾰτηγορῐ́ᾱ (kătēgorĭ́ā)bor. Late Latin catēgoriader. Middle French categorie French catégoriebor. Middle English English category Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō)bor. Late Latin -izōder. Middle French -iserbor. Middle English -isen English -ize English categorize Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English categorization From categorize + -ation.
Across languages
Translations
29 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
分類 /分类
(fēnlèi)
— group of things arranged by category
Chinese Mandarin:
歸類 /归类
(guīlèi)
— group of things arranged by category
Finnish:
luokitus
— group of things arranged by category
Basque:
kategorizazio
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Catalan:
categorització
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Chinese Mandarin:
分類 /分类
(fēnlèi)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Chinese Mandarin:
歸類 /归类
(guīlèi)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Czech:
kategorizace
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Czech:
třídění
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Czech:
klasifikace
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Dutch:
categoriseren
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Finnish:
luokittelu
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
French:
catégorisation
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Galician:
categorización
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
German:
Kategorisierung
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Greek:
κατηγοριοποίηση
(katigoriopoíisi)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Greek:
ταξινόμηση
(taxinómisi)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Greek:
κατάταξη
(katátaxi)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Italian:
categorizzazione
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Malayalam:
വർഗ്ഗീകരണം
(vaṟggīkaraṇaṁ)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Māori:
whakarōpūtanga
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Polish:
kategoryzacja
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Polish:
klasyfikacja
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Portuguese:
categorização
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Romanian:
categorisire
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Russian:
категоризация
(kategorizacija)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Sikkimese:
ཁོངས་རྷོགས
(khongs rhogs)
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Spanish:
categorización
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes
Yoruba:
ìpínsísọ̀rí
— process of sorting or arranging things into categories or classes