# category mistake

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A semantic or ontological error by which a property (or category) is ascribed to a thing that could not possibly have that property.

## Etymology
Popularized by philosopher Gilbert Ryle in The Concept of Mind (1949), where it is applied to the notion of a ghost in the machine.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/category-mistake