Categorizing: meaning, definitions and examples

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categorizing

 

[ ˈkæt̬.ər.aɪzɪŋ ]

Verb / Noun
Context #1 | Verb

organize

To place in a particular category or class

Synonyms

classify, group, sort.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
categorizing

Use this word when you are organizing items or information into distinct categories or groups. Often used in academic, business, or technical settings.

  • The librarian is categorizing the new books by genre.
  • I'm categorizing the data from the survey results.
classify

This word is suitable for more formal or scientific contexts where items or information are being systematically grouped according to specific criteria.

  • Biologists classify animals into different species.
  • We need to classify these documents by their level of confidentiality.
sort

Ideal for situations where items are being arranged in a certain order. It's used in both formal and informal contexts.

  • I need to sort these emails by date.
  • She is sorting the coins by size.
group

This is a more general and informal term that's used when putting similar items together. It's often used in everyday situations.

  • Can you group these clothes by color?
  • We should group the students based on their proficiency levels.

Examples of usage

  • She spent hours categorizing the books in the library
  • The software program is capable of categorizing data quickly and accurately
Context #2 | Verb

classify

To arrange or organize into classes, categories, or groups

Synonyms

categorize, label, sort.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
categorizing

Often used in the context of organizing items or information into groups or classes. It implies an ongoing process.

  • She is categorizing the books by genre.
  • The software helps in categorizing emails.
categorize

Used when talking about the action of classifying items or information into categories. It refers to a specific action rather than an ongoing process.

  • We need to categorize these files for easy access.
  • He can categorize the data in a more efficient way.
sort

Used in everyday situations when organizing items into groups, usually by type or relevance. It's generally less formal than 'categorize'.

  • I need to sort the laundry by color.
  • Can you help me sort these documents by date?
label

Used when assigning a name or category to something. It often has a slightly more informal or everyday usage compared to 'categorize'.

  • We should label these drawers so we know what's inside.
  • People tend to label others based on their first impressions.

Examples of usage

  • The books were categorized by genre
  • The animals were categorized based on their habitat
Context #3 | Noun

classification

The action or process of classifying something according to shared qualities or characteristics

Synonyms

categorization, grouping, sorting.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
categorizing

This term is often used when someone is organizing items or information into categories based on shared characteristics.

  • She is categorizing the books by genre
  • The software helps in categorizing the data for easier analysis
categorization

This noun form is suitable when referring to the process or result of placing things into categories.

  • The categorization of these documents will help in better archiving
  • Accurate categorization is essential for an efficient system
sorting

This term is best used when arranging items in a specific order, often by size, type, value, or some other criteria.

  • Sorting the files alphabetically makes them easier to find
  • The children are sorting their toys by color
grouping

This word is appropriate when organizing items into smaller sets or clusters, often based on shared features or functions.

  • Grouping students by their skill levels can help tailor the instruction
  • They are grouping the animals according to species

Examples of usage

  • The categorizing of the documents was a time-consuming task
  • The classification of species is based on various criteria

Translations

Translations of the word "categorizing" in other languages:

🇵🇹 categorização

🇮🇳 वर्गीकरण

🇩🇪 Kategorisierung

🇮🇩 pengkategorian

🇺🇦 категоризація

🇵🇱 kategoryzacja

🇯🇵 分類 (ぶんるい)

🇫🇷 catégorisation

🇪🇸 categorización

🇹🇷 kategorize etme

🇰🇷 범주화 (beomjuhwa)

🇸🇦 تصنيف (tasnif)

🇨🇿 kategorizace

🇸🇰 kategorizácia

🇨🇳 分类 (fēnlèi)

🇸🇮 kategorizacija

🇮🇸 flokkun

🇰🇿 санаттау

🇬🇪 კატეგორიზაცია

🇦🇿 kateqoriyalaşdırma

🇲🇽 categorización

Etymology

The word 'categorizing' is derived from the noun 'category', which comes from the Latin word 'categoria' meaning 'accusation, category'. The verb form 'categorizing' emerged in the late 18th century with the suffix '-ize' added to 'category'. The concept of categorizing has been essential in various fields such as science, literature, and information organization.

See also: categorizations, categorized, categorizer, recategorize, uncategorized.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #25,461, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.