Words / B2

KAT-uh-g-uh-ryz/ˈkætəɡəraɪz/

To categorise is to put people or things into groups according to type (British -ise): categorise land use; categorise responses. Category is the noun (already in the dictionary); classify is a close twin (already elsewhere). Categorise the land use, then give the key. Mix-up: catalogue (already in the dictionary). US: categorize. Do not categorise people on a protected characteristic unless the source and task require it.

Meaning

To put people or things into groups according to type (British spelling).

Examples

• “Categorise the land use on the map, then give the key, the geography paper said.”
• “Categorise open responses before you graph them, which is the methods sense.”

Good to know

categorise + noun + as / into. Noun: category. Close: classify. US: categorize. Geography, methods, and science. Sort into types, not a shopping list.

Near in meaning

classify

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