as in qualities
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
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Recent Examples of characteristics
There are eight valid reasons to rename a street, including honoring a person and enhancing a neighborhood through the association of a street name with its location, area characteristics, and history.
—
Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Accessibility The hotel does not have adequate facilities for guests with reduced mobility due to the architectural characteristics of the historic building.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026
There is no beaker to pour in the exact amount of characteristics to create strong chemistry.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026
Indeed, one of the defining characteristics of this show was its dearth of any language at the awards that could be considered political.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
While some changes are visible once early swelling subsides, clinics generally advise that final rhinoplasty results can take several months to fully develop, and in some cases up to a year depending on surgical technique and tissue characteristics.
—Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Early on, the object didn’t have the characteristics of a piece of space junk—another possible falling space object—astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell noted ahead of NASA’s identification.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
The greenback has also exhibited defensive characteristics, while other traditional safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen have faltered.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
More education about the characteristics of alternative fibers is crucial, as different blends serve distinct purposes based on performance and aesthetics.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 17 Mar. 2026
Dante Motley, Austin American Statesman, 20 Mar. 2026
Accessibility The hotel does not have adequate facilities for guests with reduced mobility due to the architectural characteristics of the historic building.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Mar. 2026
There is no beaker to pour in the exact amount of characteristics to create strong chemistry.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2026
Indeed, one of the defining characteristics of this show was its dearth of any language at the awards that could be considered political.
—Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
While some changes are visible once early swelling subsides, clinics generally advise that final rhinoplasty results can take several months to fully develop, and in some cases up to a year depending on surgical technique and tissue characteristics.
—Miami Herald, 17 Mar. 2026
Early on, the object didn’t have the characteristics of a piece of space junk—another possible falling space object—astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell noted ahead of NASA’s identification.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 17 Mar. 2026
The greenback has also exhibited defensive characteristics, while other traditional safe-haven currencies such as the Japanese yen have faltered.
—Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
More education about the characteristics of alternative fibers is crucial, as different blends serve distinct purposes based on performance and aesthetics.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characteristics
Noun
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Cancelling grants and funding on the basis of DEI constitutes discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and other qualities, the organizations claimed.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
19 Mar. 2026
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Raised in a military family and shaped by life on the move, Lawson’s comedy centers on resilience, relationships, and finding humor in chaos — qualities highlighted in his first two specials, Get to Know Me and My Name Is Preacher.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kelso assured the readers that none of these traits is set in stone.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
20 Mar. 2026
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Beyond her quality on the ball, Reiten brings a winning mentality and work ethic — traits drilled into her from spending five years playing under Hayes.—
Karen Carney,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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However, the issue is that these attributes have been flattened into something far more superficial and inaccurate, relationship experts warn.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
19 Mar. 2026
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Just as the original Cayenne Turbo changed the game for performance SUVs, the first Panamera Turbo proved that the attributes that long defined a Porsche could be transferred to a sedan.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
19 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Accessibility Accessible guest rooms with mobility features have doorways with 32 inches of clear width, there are multiple elevators available, and the swimming pool is accessible to wheelchair users.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Mar. 2026
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As well as banning many social media platforms, Russia blocks calling features on messenger apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram.—
Nathan Hodge,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Political discussions on social media are often dominated by competing attributions of more and more insidious motives to people on the other side.—
Mark Schroeder,
The Conversation,
20 Feb. 2026
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This post was corrected on 21 January 2021 to clarify attributions.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Jan. 2021
Noun
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Last month, the Vatican bank announced two equity benchmarks that conform to ethical Catholic criteria and are aimed at serving as a reference for Catholic investments globally.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Mar. 2026
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What to look for in a hand mixer After testing 11 models, these are the criteria that actually separated the good mixers from the frustrating ones.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characteristics.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characteristics. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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