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
In truth, the patriots’ path to victory was a near decade-long slog characterized by a string of strange bedfellows, strained alliances, and dramatic reversals.
—
Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Specifically, Tigray braids—AKA Albaso braids, Tigray lines, or Ethiopian lines—are characterized by fine cornrows fanning out towards the back and sides into a voluminous, downward flowing coif at the back.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
The plan, which Democrats characterized as a good-faith offer to Republicans, would codify a one-year extension of health care subsidies that are set to expire at the start of 2026, raising premiums for millions of Americans.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
China has deployed and tested hypersonic glide vehicles and road-mobile systems, such as the DF-17/DF-ZF family, which are typically characterized as gliding at Mach 5–10 and designed to complicate missile-defense engagement.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Specifically, Tigray braids—AKA Albaso braids, Tigray lines, or Ethiopian lines—are characterized by fine cornrows fanning out towards the back and sides into a voluminous, downward flowing coif at the back.
—Essence, 7 Nov. 2025
The plan, which Democrats characterized as a good-faith offer to Republicans, would codify a one-year extension of health care subsidies that are set to expire at the start of 2026, raising premiums for millions of Americans.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
China has deployed and tested hypersonic glide vehicles and road-mobile systems, such as the DF-17/DF-ZF family, which are typically characterized as gliding at Mach 5–10 and designed to complicate missile-defense engagement.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 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 10 Nov. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share