characterize
Americanverb (used with object)
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to mark or distinguish as a characteristic; be a characteristic of.
Rich metaphors characterize his poetry.
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to describe the character or individual quality of.
He characterized her in a few well-chosen words.
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to attribute character to.
to characterize him as a coward.
verb
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to be a characteristic of
loneliness characterized the place
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to distinguish or mark as a characteristic
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to describe or portray the character of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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characterizernoun
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mischaracterizeverb (used with object)
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characterizableadjective
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recharacterizeverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has characterizedperfect 3rd person singular
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have characterizedperfect
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am characterizingprogressive 1st person singular
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is characterizingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are characterizingprogressive
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has been characterizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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characterizingparticiple
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characterizessingular 3rd person
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have been characterizingperfect progressive
Past
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had characterizedperfect
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had been characterizingperfect progressive
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was characterizingprogressive singular
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characterizedparticiple
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were characterizingprogressive plural
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characterizedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of characterize
First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin charactērizāre, from Greek charaktērízein; see character, -ize
Explanation
To characterize someone is to describe them in a certain way, to try to pin down his or her personality. If you say your dad is stingy, you are characterizing him as a miser. See the word character in characterize? Two meanings of character can help you understand this word. We all have character, meaning we all have unique personalities. Also, characters are people in books, movies, plays, and TV shows. Characterizing has to do with summing up how a person acts in real life or is portrayed in a work of fiction.
Vocabulary lists containing characterize
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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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.
There is no other way to characterize that other than as a disappointment.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
"We were able to isolate an intermediate structure from our ruthenium complex formation reaction and characterize this with single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Surprisingly, we found the structure to be doubly ring-slipped," says Takebayashi.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
But without the proper documentation or court-ordered child support, the Internal Revenue Service could characterize this money as a gift or settlement.
From MarketWatch • May 16, 2026
If “Mija No Te Asustes” is an album about this confident boss man calling the shots, how would you characterize “Afterafter”?
From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026
I was startled that the French philosopher could so perfectly characterize the racists of our Southern states.
From "Black Like Me" by John Howard Griffin
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.
