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Synonyms

character sketch

American  

noun

Literature.

  1. a short essay describing a person; literary profile.

character sketch British  

noun

  1. a brief description or portrayal of a person's character, qualities, etc

"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

Etymology

Origin of character sketch

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I wrote that one, and within a year, every character sketch all started with jingles and montage.

From Salon • Nov. 29, 2023

The difference between the artists’ work is like the difference between a grand aristocratic portrait and a psychologically nuanced character sketch.

From Washington Post • Apr. 29, 2023

Too bad the comedic, almost clowning elements in the script work against the ethical questions the film otherwise takes seriously, making the whole thing feel more like a character sketch than a fleshed-out drama.

From New York Times • Mar. 3, 2023

But for the most part, this is an absorbing and nuanced character sketch, with a well-deployed supporting cast.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2023

Besides the character sketch of Scrooge, there is a picture of Christmas Eve in the London streets, in the paragraph beginning "Meanwhile the fog and darkness thickened".

From Ontario Teachers' Manuals: Literature by Ontario. Ministry of Education

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.