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

Many voters interviewed by the Tampa Bay Times parroted lines from those ads characterizing Jolly as a socialist or a supporter of transgender surgeries in children. — Michael Van Sickler, Miami Herald, 4 Nov. 2026

Tusk and his government have characterized their conservative opposition as buoyed by foreign agitators, particularly Russian interference. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026

Still, testing the concept in people gives it a foothold beyond the laboratory demonstrations characterizing earlier approaches. — Mike McRae, New Atlas, 4 Nov. 2026

Wiener initially declined to characterize Israel's actions as genocide during a January candidate forum, then adopted the term days later, drawing criticism from some Jewish and pro-Israel groups. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 3 Nov. 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