pigeonholes

To pigeonhole someone is to put them into a particular category, to label them with a specific name. This can often be a negative thing, because it means that the person is limited in what they can do.

  • The teacher pigeonholes her students into different groups based on their test scores.

  • The journalist pigeonholes the interviewees into one of two categories: criminals or victims.

Definition of pigeonholes

verb

treat or classify according to a mental stereotype

Synonyms:

stamp, stereotype

noun

a small compartment

Synonyms:

cubbyhole

noun

a specific (often simplistic) category

verb

place into a small compartment

Nearby Words

pigeonholes Pronunciation in a video