Thesaurus

character

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of character

1 a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader

the pictorial characters of the ancient Egyptians had long been a mystery

Synonyms of character

glyph, icon (also ikon), sign, symbol

Words Related to character

cipher, letter, numeral

hieroglyph, ideogram, pictogram, pictograph

2 a person of odd or whimsical habits

the junk dealer is certainly a character, but he's as honest as they come

Synonyms of character

codger, crack, crackbrain, crackpot, crank, eccentric, flake, fruitcake, head case, kook, nut, nutcase, nutter [British slang], oddball, oddity, original, quiz, screwball, weirdo, zany

Words Related to character

bohemian, maverick, nonconformist, quixote

fantast, fantastico

Phrases Synonymous with character

odd duck, piece of work

Near Antonyms of character

conformer, conformist, follower, sheep

3 conduct that conforms to an accepted standard of right and wrong

we need more people of sound character in public office

Synonyms of character

decency, goodness, honesty, integrity, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousness, rightness, uprightness, virtue, virtuousness

Words Related to character

high-mindedness, honor, incorruptibility, irreproachability, irreproachableness, right-mindedness, scrupulosity, scrupulousness

appropriateness, correctness, decorousness, decorum, etiquette, fitness, propriety, seemliness

Near Antonyms of character

impropriety, indecency, indecorum, indiscretion

debauchery, degeneracy, degradation, depravity, perversion, pervertedness, sinfulness

crookedness, dishonesty, underhandedness, unscrupulousness

lowness, meanness, viciousness, vileness

Antonyms of character

badness, evil, evildoing, immorality, iniquity, sin, villainy, wickedness

4 overall quality as seen or judged by people in general

the general character of the business appears to be good

Synonyms of character

fame, mark, name, note, odor, rep [slang], report, reputation, repute

Words Related to character

celebrity, notoriety, renown

admiration, regard, reverence

Near Antonyms of character

discredit, disgrace, dishonor, disrepute, ignominy, infamy, obloquy, odium, opprobrium, reproach, shame

5 something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind

one of the distinguishing characters of mammals

Synonyms of character

affection, attribute, attribution, characteristic, criterion, diagnostic, differentia, feature, fingerprint, hallmark, mark, marker, note, particularity, peculiarity, point, property, quality, specific, stamp, touch, trait

Words Related to character

badge, indication, sign

emblem, symbol, token

excellence, merit, virtue

eccentricity, idiosyncrasy, oddity, quirk

individuality, singularity, uniqueness

6 the set of qualities that make a person different from other people

she regards each of her children as having a distinctive character that should be valued for what it is

Synonyms of character

identity, individualism, individuality, personality, self-identity, selfhood

Words Related to character

distinctiveness, idiosyncrasy, oneness, peculiarity, separateness, singleness, singularity, uniqueness

disposition, humor, nature, temper, temperament

Near Antonyms of character

conformity, conventionality

7 the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others

the basic character of the work requires that an employee be able to work quietly and independently

Synonyms of character

clay, colors, complexion, constitution, genius, nature, personality, self, tone

Words Related to character

distinctiveness, distinctness, individuality, singularity, uniqueness

attribute, characteristic, earmark, essentiality, feature, flavor, hallmark, mark, point, property, savor (also savour), stamp, trait

disposition, grain, sort, temper, temperament

composition, makeup

essence, essentiality, interior, interiority, soul, spirit

metal, stuff, substance

8 a member of the human race

you wouldn't believe what kind of characters hang around the bus station

Synonyms of character

baby, being, bird, bod [British], body, cookie (or cooky), creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight

Words Related to character

hominid, homo, humanoid

brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor

celebrity, personality, self, somebody

Phrases Synonymous with character

Near Antonyms of character

animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

Synonym Discussion of character

disposition, temperament, temper, character, personality mean the dominant quality or qualities distinguishing a person or group. disposition implies customary moods and attitude toward the life around one.

- a cheerful disposition

temperament implies a pattern of innate characteristics associated with one's specific physical and nervous organization.

- an artistic temperament

temper implies the qualities acquired through experience that determine how a person or group meets difficulties or handles situations.

- a resilient temper

character applies to the aggregate of moral qualities by which a person is judged apart from intelligence, competence, or special talents.

- strength of character

personality applies to an aggregate of qualities that distinguish one as a person.

- a somber personality

character

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of character

to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group

formerly charactered as "the dark ages," that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought

Synonyms of character

characterize, define, depict, describe, portray, represent

Words Related to character

categorize, classify, pigeonhole, type

color, identify, indicate, name, specify

distinguish, individualize, mark, particularize, stamp

Learn More about character

Dictionary: Definition of character Medical Dictionary: Definition of character Spanish Central: Translation of character Nglish: Translation of character for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of character for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about character

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up character? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments

WORD OF THE DAY

boilerplate

standardized text or formulaic language