What does categorizing mean?
Categorizing is the act of sorting people, objects, ideas, or information into categories — groups defined by shared characteristics such as function, type, or quality. It is the progressive form and gerund of the verb 'categorize', so it can describe an action in progress ('she is categorizing the samples') or serve as a noun-like label for the activity itself ('categorizing helps us think clearly'). The word carries no strong connotation: it is neutral and practical, appearing equally in scientific research, office work, library science, and casual conversation about tidying up. Its usefulness lies in naming one of the most fundamental cognitive operations — humans constantly impose order on experience by grouping similar things together, whether filing emails, labeling species, or sorting laundry. Related forms include 'categorize', 'categorized', and the noun 'categorization'. The term derives ultimately from the Greek 'katēgoria', which entered English through Latin and French alongside its sibling word 'category'.
Present participle of categorize: to arrange items or concepts into categories according to their shared attributes.
"The team is currently categorizing thousands of customer feedback comments."
Often followed directly by the object being sorted, as in 'categorizing the entries by date'.
As a gerund, the act or process of placing things into categories.
"Careful categorizing at the outset saves hours of confusion later."
Functions as a verbal noun, taking objects ('categorizing the files') and modifiers ('methodical categorizing').
Every time you categorize something, you're using a word that traces back to ancient Greek public speaking — 'katēgoria' originally meant an accusation made in an assembly.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of categorizing
Categorizing comes from the verb categorize, formed in English in the 17th century from the noun 'category', borrowed via French 'catégorie' and Late Latin 'categoria' from Greek 'katēgoria', meaning 'assertion' or 'accusation' — literally a statement made against someone in a public assembly. The Greek noun derives from 'katēgorein', 'to declare or accuse', built on 'agora', the assembly place. The related adjective 'categorical' shares this same Greek ancestry.
Related word forms
How categorizing is actually used
Neutral in register and suitable for both formal academic writing and everyday speech. In American English it is spelled with a -z-, while British English typically uses -s- ('categorising'). As a gerund, it can take a direct object ('categorizing the books') and functions like a noun in subject positions.
Easily confused with categorizing
"Categorising" is simply the standard British spelling of the same word, while "categorizing" uses the American -z- spelling.