charactery

American  

[kar-ik-tuh-ree, -tree] / ˈkær ɪk tə ri, -tri /

noun

1. the use of characters or symbols for the expression of meaning.

2. characters or symbols collectively.

---

charactery British  

/ ˈkærɪktərɪ, -trɪ /

noun

1. the use of symbols to express thoughts

2. the group of symbols so used

---

Etymology

Origin of charactery

First recorded in 1580–90; character + -y ³

Example Sentences

When I came out to L.A., there was this vibe that if you were an actress you would either play the “pretty girl” or the “charactery” one.

From Washington Times

The charactery girl wasn’t as pretty, like the “plain jane.”

From Washington Times

And I would many times identify more with the charactery role because it was so much more complex and interesting to me.

From Washington Times

Meanwhile, across town, Mr. Pratt was having what he describes as “an identity crisis as an actor,” vacillating between what he calls “fat charactery guy and in-shape charactery guy.”

From New York Times

Charactery, or the art of shorthand, was introduced into the Nonconformist schools as a taught subject for the sake of enabling youths or others to take notes of sermons and lectures; and some of the discourses from the pulpit in the time of Elizabeth purport to have been printed from shorthand notes.

From Project Gutenberg