diff --git a/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.cpp b/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.cpp
index b07fa98167f..fc241c61c3c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.cpp
@@ -1705,25 +1705,6 @@ QModelIndex CPPEditorWidget::indexForPosition(int line, int column,
     return lastIndex;
 }
 
-QVector<TextEditor::TextStyle> CPPEditorWidget::highlighterFormatCategories()
-{
-    static QVector<TextEditor::TextStyle> categories;
-    if (categories.isEmpty()) {
-        categories << TextEditor::C_NUMBER
-                   << TextEditor::C_STRING
-                   << TextEditor::C_TYPE
-                   << TextEditor::C_KEYWORD
-                   << TextEditor::C_OPERATOR
-                   << TextEditor::C_PREPROCESSOR
-                   << TextEditor::C_LABEL
-                   << TextEditor::C_COMMENT
-                   << TextEditor::C_DOXYGEN_COMMENT
-                   << TextEditor::C_DOXYGEN_TAG
-                   << TextEditor::C_VISUAL_WHITESPACE;
-    }
-    return categories;
-}
-
 TextEditor::IAssistInterface *CPPEditorWidget::createAssistInterface(
     TextEditor::AssistKind kind,
     TextEditor::AssistReason reason) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.h b/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.h
index 6220db33919..35161ea5046 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cppeditor/cppeditor.h
@@ -134,8 +134,6 @@ public:
     static Link linkToSymbol(CPlusPlus::Symbol *symbol);
     static QString identifierUnderCursor(QTextCursor *macroCursor);
 
-    static QVector<TextEditor::TextStyle> highlighterFormatCategories();
-
     virtual TextEditor::IAssistInterface *createAssistInterface(TextEditor::AssistKind kind,
                                                                 TextEditor::AssistReason reason) const;