characterize
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to mark or distinguish as a characteristic; be a characteristic of.
Rich metaphors characterize his poetry.
-
to describe the character or individual quality of.
He characterized her in a few well-chosen words.
-
to attribute character to.
to characterize him as a coward.
verb
-
to be a characteristic of
loneliness characterized the place
-
to distinguish or mark as a characteristic
-
to describe or portray the character of
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
characterizernoun
-
mischaracterizeverb (used with object)
-
characterizableadjective
-
recharacterizeverb (used with object)
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has characterizedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have characterizedperfect
-
am characterizingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is characterizingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
are characterizingprogressive
-
has been characterizingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
characterizingparticiple
-
characterizessingular 3rd person
-
have been characterizingperfect progressive
Past
-
had characterizedperfect
-
had been characterizingperfect progressive
-
was characterizingprogressive singular
-
characterizedparticiple
-
were characterizingprogressive plural
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Language of Standardized Tests, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
"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
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
Because a blockade is recognized in international law as an act of war, governments more often characterize their efforts to isolate an adversary as sanctions, embargoes or quarantines that suggest narrower goals.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
Both executives, interestingly, characterize Viking as in the business of marketing first, cruising second.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
These are the dual strengths, the essential opposites, that characterize human thinking.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
