characterize
verb (used with object)
to mark or distinguish as a characteristic; be a characteristic of.
characterizes
-
present tense formof characterize (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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 do not believe the inquiry accurately characterizes our actions or practices and will cooperate through the appropriate process.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
Griffin’s countersuit claims that the classmate’s lawsuit characterizes her as “a fraud and a thief.”
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026
Mr. Sorey’s band moves from down-home blues to church-service uplift to the sort of energized ritual that characterizes “creative music,” a practice for which Mr. Sorey is now a forceful lodestar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
If one thing characterizes the past few years of major app releases, it’s “features users didn’t ask for.”
From Slate ● Jun. 10, 2026
The epistemological sloppiness that, in Western culture, characterizes references to experience before the Scientific Revolution is not a necessary characteristic of pre-scientific societies.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
