characterize
verb
char·ac·ter·ize
ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 
ˈka-rik-
characterized; characterizing
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
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
Burnham characterized the vote as a vote for change.
—
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 June 2026
The governor’s office characterized the investigation as a fishing expedition.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
White added some thoughts about focusing in on people, characterizing what often happens in collaborations.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
El Niño conditions are characterized by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that typically bring higher air temperatures and less rain to the area.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
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Alexander Smith, NBC news, 19 June 2026
The governor’s office characterized the investigation as a fishing expedition.
—Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
White added some thoughts about focusing in on people, characterizing what often happens in collaborations.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
El Niño conditions are characterized by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that typically bring higher air temperatures and less rain to the area.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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