recategorize

verb

re·​cat·​e·​go·​rize (ˌ)rē-ˈka-ti-gə-ˌrīz How to pronounce recategorize (audio)
recategorized; recategorizing; recategorizes
Synonyms of recategorizenext

transitive verb

: to put into a different category : reclassify
recategorized the drug as a controlled substance
Neptune is the eighth and furthest planet from the Sun, since Pluto was recategorized as a dwarf planet.—James L. Chen
recategorization
(ˌ)rē-ˌka-ti-gə-rə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce recategorize (audio)
noun
plural recategorizations
Nye supported the recategorization of Pluto by the International Astronomical Union. Its makeup more closely matches a comet, he said. —Mark Bennett

Examples of recategorize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The people who create useful friction are the first to go quiet, and then the first to be quietly recategorized. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 This approach could help children learn how to recategorize misplaced fear as a manageable emotion by approaching it piece by piece. — Maria Williams, USA Today, 12 Nov. 2025 Last summer, Tyson wrote a letter to Trump urging him to federally recategorize cannabis as a less harmful substance. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 18 Feb. 2026 Generally, recategorizing drugs happens via an act of Congress or a formal rule-making process. — Bill Chappell, NPR, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recategorize

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recategorize was in 1917

Rhymes for recategorize

See All Rhymes for recategorize

Browse Nearby Words

recast
recategorize
recce
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recategorize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recategorize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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