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View synonyms for

characterize

[ kar-ik-tuh-rahyz ]

verb (used with object)

characterized, characterizing.
  1. to mark or distinguish as a characteristic; be a characteristic of:

    Rich metaphors characterize his poetry.

  2. to describe the character or individual quality of:

    He characterized her in a few well-chosen words.

  3. to attribute character to:

    to characterize him as a coward.



characterize

/ ˈæɪəˌɪ /

verb

  1. to be a characteristic of

    loneliness characterized the place

  2. to distinguish or mark as a characteristic
  3. to describe or portray the character of
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • ˈ󲹰ٱˌ, adjective
  • ˈ󲹰ٱˌ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • 󲹰··ٱ··· adjective
  • 󲹰··ٱ·· noun
  • ·󲹰··ٱ· verb (used with object) mischaracterized mischaracterizing
  • ·󲹰··ٱ· verb (used with object) recharacterized recharacterizing
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Word History and Origins

Origin of characterize1

First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin 󲹰ŧ, from Greek 󲹰ŧí𾱲; character, -ize
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A source who spoke to Politico characterized the situation in Hegseth's inner circle as a "knife fight."

From

Cailian Press, a Chinese media outlet focused on finance, characterized the administration’s latest rhetoric as “a sign that Trump is already softening stance on his signature tariff policies.”

From

But one twin's diagnosis with acrania — a rare, fatal congenital disorder characterized by the full or partial absence of cranial bones — sent Brandt's world into a grief-stricken tailspin.

From

The proposed metrics, published in January and approved by the county supervisors in March, conspicuously avoid the “ending homelessness” ethos that characterized the earlier measures.

From

Moreover, resisting the administration’s efforts to throw sand in the machinery of justice, Wilkinson characterized Garcia’s case as easy and the court’s duty as “clear.”

From

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characterizationcharacterized