Definition
Category
A category is a named group for items or data values that share a stated feature.
What it means
Imagine sorting a mixed box. You might make categories called “round”, “made of metal”, or “has four sides”. The category tells what must be true for something to belong; it is the name of the group, not the thing inside it.
Remember it
Category = a labelled basket with a rule for what belongs inside.
Example
Mina sorts buttons by number of holes. The categories are “two holes” and “four holes”. A red four-hole button belongs in the four-hole category because the rule uses holes, not colour.
Watch for
A category is not just any pile. The items need a clear reason for being grouped together.
Common mix-up
A category is the group label or rule; a data value is the particular answer placed in that category.
Exact meaning
A category is a group label used to classify items or data values according to a stated feature or rule. Categories may be separate or may overlap when the classification allows it.