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.
-
to attribute character to.
to characterize him as a coward.
verb
-
to be a characteristic of
loneliness characterized the place
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to distinguish or mark as a characteristic
-
to describe or portray the character of
Other Word Forms
- characterizable adjective
- characterizer noun
- mischaracterize verb (used with object)
- recharacterize verb (used with object)
Etymology
Origin of characterize
First recorded in 1585–95; from Medieval Latin charactērizāre, from Greek charaktērízein; character, -ize
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.
Martin, however, characterized Apple’s move “as selling its soul/future to the devil.”
From MarketWatch
Shelter workers mentioned a previous bite but characterized it as a nip at the heels and “not a big deal,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
MP characterized the report as inaccurate in a social media post.
From Barron's
One analyst hasn’t been taken in, characterizing it as an effort to ride last year’s Labubu-led trinket craze.
From MarketWatch
Before his arrival, the federal deployment had been characterized by large groups of roving patrols, sweeping streets looking for people to arrest.
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.
