categorywide

Categorywide is an adjective describing something that applies to or affects an entire category rather than a single item or subset. In business, data, and content management contexts, a categorywide policy, rule, or action covers all elements within a defined category, typically defined by product type, taxonomy, or metadata. The term contrasts with item-level or category-specific approaches, which target individual items or a narrower subset.

In retail and marketing, categorywide discounts or promotions apply to all products within a category, such as a categorywide clearance of winter jackets or a categorywide promotional offer across all kitchen appliances. In analytics, a categorywide analysis aggregates data across all items in a category to identify overarching trends and performance, rather than focusing on single products. In software, content management, and data governance, categorywide updates or changes can propagate to all items in a category, affecting metadata, permissions, or workflow rules.

Usage and spelling vary. The phrase is commonly written with a hyphen as category-wide or category-wide in many style guides, while categorywide as a closed compound appears in some sources. The choice often depends on editorial standards and the intended emphasis on scope. Related concepts include blanket policy, bulk discount, global change, and scope-based categorization.

In sum, categorywide denotes scope extending across an entire category, enabling uniform application and analysis at the category level rather than at the level of individual items.