1
as in to describe
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to distinguish
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterize
Block heels, on the other hand, are characterized by their wider, solid and often square shape.
—
Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 11 July 2025
Although this will vary from person to person, initial symptoms are typically characterized by hives, swelling or edema and breathing difficulties.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Short has Alport syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive kidney disease, often leading to renal failure.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 9 July 2025
Many high-performing professional services firms—from big law to accounting to consultancies—are characterized by the extreme hours logged by their employees.
—Por Ioana Lupu E Shanming Liu, Harvard Business Review, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 11 July 2025
Although this will vary from person to person, initial symptoms are typically characterized by hives, swelling or edema and breathing difficulties.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 10 July 2025
Short has Alport syndrome, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive kidney disease, often leading to renal failure.
—Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 9 July 2025
Many high-performing professional services firms—from big law to accounting to consultancies—are characterized by the extreme hours logged by their employees.
—Por Ioana Lupu E Shanming Liu, Harvard Business Review, 9 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterize
Verb
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These are some of the ways people have described their experience.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 July 2025
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Strickland described the demand to CNBC as being through the roof.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
12 July 2025
Verb
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At just under 6-5 without shoes, Tre distinguishes himself as an outside shooter.—
Josh Robbins,
New York Times,
9 July 2025
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How does history distinguish knaves from legendary figures?—
W.E. Gutman,
Sun Sentinel,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The latter has portrayed The Waitress — the object of Day's character Charlie Kelly's obsessive, unrequited love — in 37 episodes across 16 seasons of the long-running FX series.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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Many analysts portrayed the decision as a victory for Trump, and some Democrats lashed out at the court.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
4 July 2025
Verb
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defined a heat wave as a period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and usually humid weather that lasts at least two days.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
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To define these guardrails, organizations should: • Implement reinforcement learning techniques with human feedback to continuously review and reward the LLMs for good behavior.—
Rakshana Balakrishnan,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterize. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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