Meaning of category mistake | Babel Free

Definitions

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

Equivalents

Examples

“It is one big mistake⟳ and a mistake⟳ of a special kind. It is, namely, a category-mistake. It represents the facts of mental life as if they belonged to one logical type⟳ or category (or range of types or categories), when they actually belong⟳ to another. The dogma is therefore a philosopher's myth.”

CEFR level