characterize

especially British, char·ac·ter·ise

[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

/ ˈkærɪktəˌraɪz /

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

Other Word Forms

• characterizable adjective
• characterizer noun
• mischaracterize verb (used with object)
• recharacterize verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of characterize¹

First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin charactērizāre, from Greek charaktērízein; character, -ize

Example Sentences

Ms. Vaill nevertheless leans into it harder than previous biographers, who have characterized their mutual affection as platonic.

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Administration officials have characterized the shift as pragmatic deterrence that forces Taipei to fund its own defense capabilities while avoiding symbolic gestures that could grant Beijing a pretext for a Ukraine-style conflict.

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But there’s at least one way in which the mayor-elect does resemble his Indian peers: His politics are characterized by wild promises of government largesse detached from economic reality.

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Whether this case’s resolution can be characterized as realistic is open to interpretation; as we said, it’s entirely fictional.

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“These children are horrible,” Tolstoy shortly observed, thus displaying the deep insight into human nature that would characterize his later work.

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Related Words

• define 
• describe 
• identify 
• indicate 
• mark 
• outline 
• portray 
• represent 
• symbolize