characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 

ˈka-rik-

characterized; characterizing

transitive verb

1

: to describe the character (see character entry 1 sense 1a) or quality of

characterizes him as ambitious

2

: to be a characteristic of : distinguish

an era characterized by greed

Synonyms of characterize

• describe
• portray
• define

Examples of characterize in a Sentence

How would you characterize the situation?

I would characterize this as a positive change for our company.

She had difficulty characterizing their relationship.

His personality is hard to characterize.

Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area.

the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century

Recent Examples on the Web

Resilience characterizes many young basketball players at SCC Dixon said. — Nicole Gregory, Oc Register, 25 June 2026

The conflict in the Carolina backcountry was intense, characterized by a brutal struggle that often pitted neighbor against neighbor, and family member against family member. — Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 24 June 2026

Although sentiment is weak, bitcoin’s decline has been more muted than the crushing drawdowns that characterized previous crypto winters. — Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 24 June 2026

Self characterized Peterson as a player whose ceiling is an eight-time NBA All-Star over the next 10 seasons. — Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 24 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

see character entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for characterize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize
• democratize

Kids Definition

characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈkar-ik-tə-ˌrīz 

characterized; characterizing

1

: to point out the character of an individual or group : describe

characterize him as ambitious

2

: to be characteristic of

tragic endings characterized her stories