CHARACTERISTIC Synonyms: 149 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'characteristic' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of characteristic are distinctive , individual , and peculiar . While all these words mean "indicating a special quality or identity," characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class. // responded with her characteristic wit

Q: When could 'distinctive' be used to replace 'characteristic'?

While in some cases nearly identical to characteristic , distinctive indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy. // a distinctive aura of grace and elegance

Q: When can 'individual' be used instead of 'characteristic'?

Although the words individual and characteristic have much in common, individual stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class. // a highly individual writing style

Q: When might 'peculiar' be a better fit than 'characteristic'?

The meanings of peculiar and characteristic largely overlap; however, peculiar applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness. // an eccentricity that is peculiar to the British

characteristic 1 of 2

noun

ˌker-ik-tə-ˈri-stik

Definition of characteristic

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

characteristic

2 of 2

adjective

as in distinctive

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group the characteristic taste of licorice

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective characteristic contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of characteristic are distinctive, individual, and peculiar. While all these words mean "indicating a special quality or identity," characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class.

responded with her characteristic wit

When could distinctive be used to replace characteristic?

While in some cases nearly identical to characteristic, distinctive indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy.

a distinctive aura of grace and elegance

When can individual be used instead of characteristic?

Although the words individual and characteristic have much in common, individual stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class.

a highly individual writing style

When might peculiar be a better fit than characteristic?

The meanings of peculiar and characteristic largely overlap; however, peculiar applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness.

an eccentricity that is peculiar to the British

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of characteristic

Noun

One wing of Protestant churches in Brazil is decidedly conservative and shares characteristics with evangelical churches in the United States. — John Thomas Iii, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2026 For some investors, founder control is a defining characteristic of generational tech companies. — Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026

Adjective

Growing support for the arts in small town America, funded by philanthropists including the Carnegie Foundation, created more opportunities for Wood to make work that felt characteristic of his region. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The performance became an unlikely flashpoint, with Bridgers responding to the criticism with characteristic irreverence. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for characteristic

Recent Examples of Synonyms for characteristic

Noun

Warhound wants to improve canine health and longevity alongside traits such as speed, agility, and scent detection.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
With Carr, his average physical traits (by NFL QB standards) give pause for thought.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of trait

Adjective

Altadena had a distinctive and cherished identity before the fire.

— Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
The tiny Norwegian archipelago, 68 degrees north of the Arctic Circle and two flights from Oslo, is a distinctive and dramatic landscape with spiky mountains rising from the Norwegian Sea and sandy beaches fringed by fjords.

— Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinctive

Adjective

However, the test took place entirely on urban roads in mild weather, conditions that favour EV efficiency and do not reflect typical highway driving or winter use.

— Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
The One Block Down x Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble Lux features a full premium leather upper, replacing all of the typical Air Max 95 materials including its signature synthetic suede and mesh.

— Riley Jones, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of typical

Noun

While the bathrooms in most accommodations feature walk-in showers, a few of the upstairs rooms have bathtubs, making those rooms a good choice for families.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Introduced for 2024, the Equinox EV combines long range, a smooth ride quality, and a generous list of standard features at an affordable price.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of feature

Adjective

Ideas can be measured through semantic distance, which is a way of quantifying how distinct individual concepts are.

— Roger Beaty, The Conversation, 28 Oct. 2026
Netflix logged 21 positions spread over 18 series, the broadest range of distinct titles of the platforms the report examined.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of distinct

Adjective

It's shot up from less than $97 at the start of the month on uncertainty about when the war with Iran will allow the global energy industry to return to normal.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Menopause is the normal part of a woman’s aging process that marks the end of her reproductive years.

— Lyndon Haviland, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of normal

Noun

The Rams displayed all those attributes Sunday in a 35-21 victory over the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium.

— Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
According to the settlement website, eligible class members include anyone who received an inaccurate credit score or credit attribute because of an error in Equifax's Online Modeling System (OMS) that occurred between March 17 and April 8, 2022.

— Brian Sloan,Dan Avery, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of attribute

Adjective

The service cost will be bundled into standard utility billing, though customer participation in sorting recyclables remains voluntary.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Fixing the problem Flexible substrates have uneven surface roughness and varying hydroxyl-group densities, making standard large-area printing techniques ineffective.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of standard

Browse Nearby Words

charactering

characteristic

characteristics

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Style

“Characteristic.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristic. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of characteristic

noun

adjective

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