as in trait
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
the ability to fashion tools and other characteristics that distinguish human beings from other animals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in distinctive
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
the characteristic taste of licorice
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in typical
having or showing the qualities associated with the members of a particular group or kind
the characteristic wit and good-naturedness of the Irish
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characteristic
Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Her face seemed to reshape itself, taking on the high cheekbones and frozen forehead characteristic of Fox News hosts.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 25 Apr. 2025
Matt Villano, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
What Is Chorea? Chorea is a characteristic type of involuntary movement in Huntington’s disease.
—Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characteristic
Noun
The Lakers wanted this to be a defining characteristic all season.
—Dan Woike, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
Her face seemed to reshape itself, taking on the high cheekbones and frozen forehead characteristic of Fox News hosts.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
At the same time, sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal disorders are characteristic among autistic kids, and if left untreated these (issues) can interfere with social activities.
—Matt Villano, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2025
What Is Chorea? Chorea is a characteristic type of involuntary movement in Huntington’s disease.
—Heidi Moawad, Verywell Health, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characteristic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characteristic
Noun
-
While the natural traits and intellect of Gates and Allen were crucial for Microsoft’s eventual success, so too was their willingness to learn from an early failure and apply themselves in a new venture.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Language has often been cited as a uniquely human trait in arguments against extending rights to animals.—
David Gruber,
Time,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
From its facial expressions to its distinctive chirp, the creature is wreathed in a kind of nostalgia that Eighties kids will remember from those early days trolling the VHS rack at their local Blockbuster.—
Brenna Ehrlich,
Rolling Stone,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The Allure of Free Market Multifamily The recent transactions demonstrate strong investor demand, which is closely linked to the distinctive attributes of New York City's free market multifamily sector.—
Shimon Shkury,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The house is typical of the modest cottages built in the area, with a front gable and adjacent porch over the main entry.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
2 May 2025
-
Your typical county bureaucrat probably won’t be remembered for his ability to don a sheep costume and sing a parody song to a room full of his colleagues.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The company, which has recently released features such as Flow, Hard Truths and My Favourite Cake, plans to launch Post Truth in the second half of June in at least 20 Turkish cities.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
28 Apr. 2025
-
The Department of Education appears to have removed a key new feature of the StudentAid.gov website that has allowed borrowers to track their student loan forgiveness progress.—
Adam S. Minsky,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Such intimidation may be normal in Putin's Russia, not in the civilized world!—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Seeing the color Olo needed specific stimulation to push the vision beyond its normal limits.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The risk tolerance of an organization will determine the weighting of these attributes or whether they'll simply be ignored.—
Morey Haber,
Forbes.com,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Now his mental attributes in terms of learning the offense are starting to catch up with his physical gifts.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Leaders must align their efforts but never relinquish their distinct accountabilities.—
Shivali Kukreja,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Epic Universe, the $7 billion attraction from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Destinations & Experiences division, offers five distinct lands and opens to the public on May 22.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
It’s become fairly standard for development to take place in-state while other components of the work are increasingly sent elsewhere.—
Katie Kilkenny,
HollywoodReporter,
2 May 2025
-
That’s a pretty standard western-movie setup, but Souza’s script has a novelistic expansiveness that serves the film well, at least for a while.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
2 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Characteristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristic. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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