What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
recategorize
Example
We need to recategorize these books by genre. [recategorize: verb]
Example
The data needs to be recategorized to better reflect the new system. [recategorized: past participle]
reclassify
Example
The government decided to reclassify the drug as a controlled substance. [reclassify: verb]
Example
The documents were reclassified as confidential after the security breach. [reclassified: past participle]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Reclassify is more commonly used than recategorize in everyday language. Reclassify is often used in legal or scientific contexts, while recategorize is more specific to certain fields such as library science or data management.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between recategorize and reclassify?
Both recategorize and reclassify are formal words that are typically used in professional or technical contexts. However, reclassify may be slightly more formal due to its association with legal or scientific terminology.