1. categorical(a = adj.pert) categoric - relating to or included in a category or categories;
Derived forms noun category2, noun category1
2. categorical(s = adj.all) categoric, flat, unconditional - not modified or restricted by reservations; "a categorical denial"; "a flat refusal"
1. Of or pertaining to a category. [1913 Webster]
2. Not hypothetical or relative; admitting no conditions or exceptions; declarative; absolute; positive; express; as, a categorical proposition, or answer. [1913 Webster]
"The scriptures by a multitude of categorical and intelligible decisions . . . distinguish between the things seen and temporal and those that are unseen and eternal." I. Taylor. [1913 Webster]
categorical, adj. unconditional, absolute; explicit, direct (a categorical refusal).
Idiom:
categorical imperative Ethics an unconditional moral obligation derived from pure reason; the bidding of conscience as ultimate moral law.
Derivative:
categorically adv.
Etymology:
F cat{eacute}gorique or LL categoricus f. Gk kategorikos: see CATEGORY
N certainty, necessity, certitude, surety, assurance, dead certainty, moral certainty, infallibleness, infallibility, reliability, indubitableness, inevitableness, unquestionableness, gospel, scripture, church, pope, court of final appeal, res judicata, ultimatum positiveness, dogmatism, dogmatist, dogmatizer, doctrinaire, bigot, opinionist, Sir Oracle, ipse dixit, fact, positive fact, matter of fact, fait accompli, certain, sure, assured, solid, well-founded, unqualified, absolute, positive, determinate, definite, clear, unequivocal, categorical, unmistakable, decisive, decided, ascertained, inevitable, unavoidable, avoidless, ineluctable, unerring, infallible, unchangeable, to be depended on, trustworthy, reliable, bound, unimpeachable, undeniable, unquestionable, indisputable, incontestable, incontrovertible, indubitable, irrefutable, conclusive, without power of appeal, indubious, without doubt, beyond a doubt, without a shade or shadow of doubt, without question, beyond question, past dispute, clear as day, beyond all question, beyond all dispute, undoubted, uncontested, unquestioned, undisputed, questionless, doubtless, authoritative, authentic, official, sure as fate, sure as death and taxes, sure as a gun, evident, self-evident, axiomatic, clear, clear as day, clear as the sun at noonday, certainly, for certain, certes, sure, no doubt, doubtless, and no mistake, flagrante delicto, sure enough, to be sure, of course, as a matter of course, a coup sur, to a certainty, in truth, at any rate, at all events, without fail, coute que coute, coute qu'il coute, whatever may happen, if the worst come to the worst, come what may, happen what may, come what will, sink or swim, rain or shine, cela va sans dire, there is no question, no question, not a shadow of doubt, there is not a shadow of doubt, the die is cast, facts are stubborn things.
N demonstration, proof, rigorous proof, conclusiveness, apodeixis, apodixis, probation, comprobation, logic of facts, experimentum crucis, argument, rigorous establishment, absolute establishment, conviction, cogency, (persuasion), demonstrating, demonstrative, demonstrable, probative, unanswerable, conclusive, apodictic, apodeictic, apodeictical, irresistible, irrefutable, irrefragable, necessary, categorical, decisive, crucial, demonstrated, proven, unconfuted, unanswered, unrefuted, evident, deducible, consequential, consectary, inferential, following, convincing, cogent, persuasive (believable), of course, in consequence, consequently, as a matter of course, necessarily, of necessity, probatum est, there is nothing more to be said, quod est demonstrandum, Q, E, D, it must follow, exitus acta probat.
N affirmance, affirmation, statement, allegation, assertion, predication, declaration, word, averment, confirmation, asseveration, adjuration, swearing, oath, affidavit, deposition, avouchment, assurance, protest, protestation, profession, acknowledgment, legal pledge, pronouncement, solemn averment, solemn avowal, solemn declaration, remark, observation, position, saying, dictum, sentence, ipse dixit, emphasis, weight, dogmatism, dogmatics, asserting, declaratory, predicatory, pronunciative, affirmative, soi-disant, positive, certain, express, explicit, absolute, emphatic, flat, broad, round, pointed, marked, distinct, decided, confident, trenchant, dogmatic, definitive, formal, solemn, categorical, peremptory, unretracted, predicable, affirmatively, in the affirmative, with emphasis, ex-cathedra, without fear of contradiction, as God is my witness, I must say, indeed, i' faith, let me tell you, why, give me leave to say, marry, you may be sure, I'd have you to know, upon my word, upon my honor, by my troth, egad, I assure you, by jingo, by Jove, by George, troth, seriously, sadly, in sadness, in sober sadness, in truth, in earnest, of a truth, truly, perdy, in all conscience, upon oath, be assured, yes, I'll warrant, I'll warrant you, I'll engage, I'll answer for it, I'll be bound, I'll venture to say, I'll take my oath, in fact, forsooth, joking apart, so help me God, not to mince the matter, quoth he, dixi.