characterization
noun
char·ac·ter·i·za·tion
ˌker-ik-t(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 
ˌka-rik-
: the act of characterizing
especially
: the artistic representation (as in fiction or drama) of human character or motives
the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others
Examples of characterization in a Sentence
The reporter was criticized for his characterization of the people of the town as poor and uneducated.
News reporting requires accurate characterization.
The class discussed the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others.
The story has good characterization.
Recent Examples on the Web
The method also supports particle characterization using Digital Inline Holography.
—
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
When the murder of 100,000 people, many of them women and children, is mentioned or denounced, or when someone dares to use terms such as genocide, ethnocide, ethnic cleansing or similar, most people choose to take issue with the characterization, quibbling over semantics.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
The combat and direction, as well as the characterization, are all involved and engaging.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Malinsky objected to the defense’s characterization in his own court filing, arguing that Torres had shown middling remorse and benefited from keeping the crime secret for a quarter-century, leading to the victim suffering an array of post-traumatic stress effects in the intervening years.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterization
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2025
When the murder of 100,000 people, many of them women and children, is mentioned or denounced, or when someone dares to use terms such as genocide, ethnocide, ethnic cleansing or similar, most people choose to take issue with the characterization, quibbling over semantics.
—Uriel Kon
september 2, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
The combat and direction, as well as the characterization, are all involved and engaging.
—Ollie Barder, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Malinsky objected to the defense’s characterization in his own court filing, arguing that Torres had shown middling remorse and benefited from keeping the crime secret for a quarter-century, leading to the victim suffering an array of post-traumatic stress effects in the intervening years.
—Robert Salonga, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterization
Cite this Entry
“Characterization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterization. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
characterization
noun
char·ac·ter·i·za·tion
ˌkar-ik-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən
1
: the act of characterizing
2
: the creation of characters (as in a book or play)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share