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Synonyms

characterized

American  
[kar-ik-tuh-rahyzd] / ˈkær ɪk təˌraɪzd /
especially British, characterised

adjective

  1. having been described or distinguished.

    Further identification is possible by comparing the unknown organism with a characterized organism.

verb

  1. the simple past tense and past participle of characterize.

Other Word Forms

  • noncharacterized adjective
  • uncharacterized adjective
  • well-characterized adjective

Etymology

Origin of characterized

characterize ( def. ) + -ed 2 ( def. )

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.

The decision came as a result of what a CoreWeave spokesperson characterized as “overwhelming demand” for the company’s high-yield notes.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

Moreover, for Aristotle, hubris is not an offense against the gods but is characterized by acts that dishonor other persons.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

He characterized the historic site as “rusting and rotting.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Recessions are generally characterized, in the first instance, by the substitution of a sudden, sharp, upward movement in the unemployment rate for a gradual downward or sideways movement.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Lembede’s Africanism was not universally supported because his ideas were characterized by a racial exclusivity that disturbed some of the other Youth Leaguers.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

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.