SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
categorical
adjective
Absolute and without qualification or exception.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Without qualification
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topEmphatic concerns force of expression; categorical excludes reservations or exceptions.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See categorical in use
The committee issued a categorical denial of the rumor.
A temporary assistant gave a categorical refusal to accept any alternative container, declaring that no exception was possible.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license