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
Most Democrats and a plurality of independents — 56% and 33%, respectively — characterized the indictment as driven by politics.
—
Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Fights are instances where all involved youth mutually intend to cause harm; assaults are characterized by a clear perpetrator and victim, according to the division.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
The sound is characterized by raunchy, self-referential lyrics sprinkled with hyperspecific jargon and layered entendres.
—Ana González Vilá, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Trump and Erdoğan have not always seen eye-to-eye, and their relationship during the American president’s first term was characterized by ups and downs.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
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Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 26 Sep. 2025
Fights are instances where all involved youth mutually intend to cause harm; assaults are characterized by a clear perpetrator and victim, according to the division.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 26 Sep. 2025
The sound is characterized by raunchy, self-referential lyrics sprinkled with hyperspecific jargon and layered entendres.
—Ana González Vilá, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Trump and Erdoğan have not always seen eye-to-eye, and their relationship during the American president’s first term was characterized by ups and downs.
—Shelby Talcott, semafor.com, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 30 Sep. 2025.
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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