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
Synonyms
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
General Nguyen Van Thieu emerged as president following the coup, in a reign that was characterized by corruption.
—
Nick Hilden, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
The town's cityscape is characterized by historic buildings and residences as well as independent businesses.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
New guidelines set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasize that pregnancy risks should be characterized in five-year age groups—like ages 35–40, 40–44, et cetera—rather than one collective maternal age group that applies to anyone past age 35.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or caused false business records to hide the true nature of payments made to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or concerned false business records to hide the true nature of payments to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
In subsequent reports, including one from the National Catholic Reporter, Gumbleton characterized his departure from St. Leo's as one fueled by retaliation.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024
The decline is due to a combination of decades of plant closings and automation at the unionized plants, combined with a lack of organizing drives that had characterized the first half of the 20th century.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The area is characterized by anomalous base and precious metals in addition to porphyry pathfinder elements such as molybdenum and tellurium, in all geological materials sampled and geophysics suggests the magnitude and geometry of a large intrusive body at depth.
—Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
Nick Hilden, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024
The town's cityscape is characterized by historic buildings and residences as well as independent businesses.
—Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2024
New guidelines set by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists emphasize that pregnancy risks should be characterized in five-year age groups—like ages 35–40, 40–44, et cetera—rather than one collective maternal age group that applies to anyone past age 35.
—Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2024
Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or caused false business records to hide the true nature of payments made to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement.
—Graham Kates, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2024
Specifically, it is alleged that Donald Trump made or concerned false business records to hide the true nature of payments to Michael Cohen, by characterizing them as payment for legal services rendered pursuant to a retainer agreement.
—Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2024
In subsequent reports, including one from the National Catholic Reporter, Gumbleton characterized his departure from St. Leo's as one fueled by retaliation.
—Georgea Kovanis, Detroit Free Press, 7 Apr. 2024
The decline is due to a combination of decades of plant closings and automation at the unionized plants, combined with a lack of organizing drives that had characterized the first half of the 20th century.
—Chris Isidore, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
The area is characterized by anomalous base and precious metals in addition to porphyry pathfinder elements such as molybdenum and tellurium, in all geological materials sampled and geophysics suggests the magnitude and geometry of a large intrusive body at depth.
—Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'characterize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near characterize
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterize. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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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