categorical

[ kat-i-gawr-i-kuhl, -gor- ]

adjective

1. without exceptions or conditions; absolute; unqualified and unconditional:

   a categorical denial.

   Synonyms: downright, flat, positive

2. Logic.
   1. (of a proposition) analyzable into a subject and an attribute related by a copula, as in the proposition “All humans are mortal.”
   2. (of a syllogism) having categorical propositions as premises.
3. of, relating to, or in a category.

categorical

/ ˌkætɪˈɡɒrɪkəl /

adjective

1. unqualified; positive; unconditional

   a categorical statement

2. relating to or included in a category
3. logic another word for categorial

Derived Forms

• ˌcateˈgoricalness, noun
• ˌcateˈgorically, adverb

Other Word Forms

• cat·e·gor·i·cal·ly adverb
• cat·e·gor·i·cal·ness noun
• non·cat·e·gor·i·cal adjective
• non·cat·e·gor·i·cal·ness noun
• un·cat·e·gor·i·cal adjective
• un·cat·e·gor·i·cal·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of categorical¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Late Latin catēgoric(us) (from Greek katēgorikós; category, -ic ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The idea won plaudits from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — and categorical rejection by America’s Arab and Western allies.

From Salon

“A categorical stripping of civil rights and civil liberties usually follows.”

From Los Angeles Times

While the worry is understandable, misinformation is not subject to any categorical exemption from 1st Amendment protections.

From Los Angeles Times

"That prohibition is categorical and does not turn on the gravity of the crimes charged, the strength of the Government’s proof, or the merits of the prosecution, which the Government stands fully behind."

From Salon

Some cynics will note that this stops short of a categorical assertion that a youth mobility scheme will never happen.

From BBC

Related Words

• absolute
• clear-cut
• definite
• definitive
• emphatic
• forthright
• unambiguous
• unequivocal