categorically
Americanadverb
-
without exception; unconditionally; absolutely.
Authorities have categorically denied that any violence took place.
My colleagues didn't merely dislike the music, they categorically declared it wretched.
-
by means of or with respect to a category.
If a child is not categorically eligible, the child may still qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income.
Other Word Forms
- noncategorically adverb
- uncategorically adverb
Etymology
Origin of categorically
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
England head coach Charlotte Edwards says her players have categorically addressed the issues surrounding their fitness.
From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026
Greenpeace categorically rejects the accusations, denouncing the proceedings as abusive and a means to silence dissent.
From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026
Holtz emphasizes that this does not necessarily mean dinosaur ecosystems were categorically more diverse than modern mammal dominated ones.
From Science Daily • Feb. 27, 2026
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, who did not respond to repeated requests from The Texas Tribune, said in a statement that “any claim that there are ‘inhumane’ conditions at ICE detention centers are categorically false.”
From Salon • Feb. 20, 2026
Whispers had been bandied about as far back as 1958, when he played at Portorož, that he was an anti-Semite, but privately, he categorically denied it when playing at Netanya, Israel, in 1968.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
