Definition

A group or class that shares common characteristics or qualities, used to organize or categorize similar items or ideas.

Example

The library has a section for each category of books, including fiction, non-fiction, and reference.

Conversation

Have you ever thought about what category our favorite movies fall into?

Yeah, I guess they could be all different genres, like action and comedy.

Right! I always find it interesting how we can mix them in one category.

Totally! It just shows how diverse our tastes really are.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Category → It is formed from "kata-" (meaning down) and "agoreuein" (meaning to speak or to declare). The word originally referred to a classification or a way of speaking down about a group or type of things.

Memory Tip

Think of 'speaking down' ('kata-') about a group or type of things — that's how you remember that a category is a classification.

Visually Confused Words