categorically
/kæt.əˈɡɒ.ɹɪk.(ə.)li/adverb
categorically is spelled C-A-T-E-G-O-R-I-C-A-L-L-Y: 13 letters and 5 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,820th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, categorically means “By the use of categories; defining a category; defined by, or corollary to, a category” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in categorically?
| Letters | 13: C-A-T-E-G-O-R-I-C-A-L-L-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 5 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 27,820th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is categorically?
Categorically appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 27,820th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce categorically?
- UK /kæt.əˈɡɒ.ɹɪk.(ə.)li/
Categorically has 5 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-categorically.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with categorically?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as categorically from its last stressed vowel (/ɒɹɪkli/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of categorically
- more categorically comparative
- most categorically superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does categorically mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
By the use of categories; defining a category; defined by, or corollary to, a category.
Near-synonyms: (sometimes synonymous) generically, classically, typically
- 2
Absolutely; in all regards (leaving no doubt or ambiguity).
She categorically denied all allegations of misconduct.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Categorically in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | catégoriquement , catégoriellement |
| Portuguese | categoricamente |
| Spanish | tajantemente, categóricamente, terminantemente, en redondo, rotundamente |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does categorically come from?
From categorical + -ly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).