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
IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
These characteristics mean the molecular measurements are consistent and understandable, even in different places across the larger hillslope.
—Chris Impey, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
The longer lifespan allows the monarchs to embark on their characteristic long migration down to Mexico, passing through Wisconsin along the way.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characteristic
Noun
The current cannot be easily calculated from the electrical and physical characteristics of the setup—ion gauges require thorough calibrations.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Sep. 2025
These characteristics mean the molecular measurements are consistent and understandable, even in different places across the larger hillslope.
—Chris Impey, The Conversation, 23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Netanyahu brought his characteristic fiery and pugilistic rhetoric to the assembly in New York, a venue he's spoken at many times before, and where diplomatic walkouts in protest at leaders' speeches are a common occurrence.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
The longer lifespan allows the monarchs to embark on their characteristic long migration down to Mexico, passing through Wisconsin along the way.
—Caitlin Looby, jsonline.com, 25 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characteristic
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characteristic
Noun
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Next, because the call for participants mentioned a lab test element and an exercise program, some personality traits were less likely to volunteer.—
Alyssa Ages,
Outside,
30 Sep. 2025
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Kizzi is an intractable flirt, a trait that is very popular with the boys, and, from the looks of the preview at the end of the episode, also with the girls.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The ground floor is home to the offices of creative director Gherardo Felloni and longtime brand ambassador Inès de la Fressange; the Salon de l’Héritage, an exhibition space and the Salon Vivier reception room, which reflects the distinctive interior design taste of the house’s founder.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
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From the modernist, Black figuration of Kwami’s ceramics to Abban’s documentary portrayals of Ghanaian protest movements and architecture, these artists responded to the distinctive, pedestrian layers of postcolonial life.—
Edna Bonhomme,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This accelerated pace of stellar birth powers immense outflows of gas and fuels the growth of super star clusters at its core, which contain hundreds of thousands of stars and shine far brighter than typical star clusters.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
25 Sep. 2025
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Owens' comments were addressed early in the premiere episode, then the episode unfolded in typical fashion with roses, dates and drama.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Naturally, these aren't feature-packed as an iPad with a stylus – but that's sort of the point.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Each of the 16 guest rooms is equipped for luxury, with features like Grown Alchemist bath products and Frette towels, and the blooming gardens below are perfect for a stroll or for setting up shop in the afternoons with a book.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Newsweek contacted Johnson by email to comment on this story outside of normal business hours.—
Kate Plummer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Vitamins and some foods can change the shade, and your first pee of the morning will almost always be darker — that’s normal.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One of his best attributes is the ability to perform to the standards, especially physical, Glasner demands, week in, week out.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
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The Broncos' red zone defense remains its strongest attribute.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have used a massive UK Biobank dataset analysis to identify that fat distribution, not just overall size, maps to distinct changes in brain structure and connectivity.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Sep. 2025
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The park encompasses 134 miles of that stretch and is divided into 13 distinct sections.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Switching to pricier papers specifically designed for inkjets can boost an ink tank printer's text quality and line graphics to at least match a laser, but the different paper types have a noticeably different feel than standard plain paper.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
30 Sep. 2025
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The updates also underscore NVIDIA’s ambition to define the standard platform for building general-purpose robots, especially humanoids, which demand precise physics and complex reasoning to function in human environments.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Characteristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristic. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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