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

• character
• define
• depict
• describe
• portray
• represent

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

One Italian publication characterized Ciotti as amaro—bitter—but that wasn’t my impression. —D. T. Max, The New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2024

Understanding more about habitable planets The Landolt mission is not just one of a characterizing the brightness of stars. —Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2024

The Camp 100: Glorious flamboyance, from Louis XIV to Lil Nas X Camp—a style that blends old and new fashion characterized its theatricality, irony, exaggeration and kitsch—has shaped fashion houses and personal styles for centuries. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 19 Sep. 2024

In that hearing Microsoft President Brad Smith characterized the state of foreign interference as Russia vs Harris and Iran vs Trump. —CBS News, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see character entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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