1
as in to describe
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group
how would you characterize the mission of this environmental organization?
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in to distinguish
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of characterize
The governor’s office characterized the investigation as a fishing expedition.
—
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The communication was smooth, the strategy was decisive and Hamilton drove with the confidence that characterized his dominant years at Mercedes.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
El Niño conditions are characterized by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that typically bring higher air temperatures and less rain to the area.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Prime’s strategy, which isn’t particularly new, nonetheless meets a moment when the streaming business across Asia is maturing, pushing players of every size toward bundling and aggregation rather than the head-to-head fight for subscribers that characterized the first phase of the streaming wars.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
The communication was smooth, the strategy was decisive and Hamilton drove with the confidence that characterized his dominant years at Mercedes.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
El Niño conditions are characterized by warmer-than-normal water temperatures in parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean that typically bring higher air temperatures and less rain to the area.
—Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 18 June 2026
Prime’s strategy, which isn’t particularly new, nonetheless meets a moment when the streaming business across Asia is maturing, pushing players of every size toward bundling and aggregation rather than the head-to-head fight for subscribers that characterized the first phase of the streaming wars.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 18 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterize
Verb
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The offender is described as an African-American man between 40-45 years of age, weighing 180-200 pounds, and was last seen wearing a gray/black baseball cap, a light blue shirt, gray pants, and black gym shoes.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
22 June 2026
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Speaking on the achievement, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier described the maiden flight as an important milestone for the company.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
21 June 2026
Verb
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The June Bootids tend to be very slow meteors, which helps astronomers distinguish them from other meteors that may appear to originate from a radiant in the same region.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
22 June 2026
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But in the 1980s, when the species turned up in North Africa, a region that had its own distinct screwworm, scientists needed a way to distinguish between the two, said Cammack, an assistant professor and the state extension specialist at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
22 June 2026
Verb
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Jones portrayed Jackson as a newcomer attempting to buy the governor’s office and highlighted his past donations to Trump critics.—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
17 June 2026
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The character is often portrayed by white actors in blackface.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
16 June 2026
Verb
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One of Wood’s earliest conversations with Reid centered on abandoning the heeled footwear that helped define earlier versions of the character.—
Precious Fondren,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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McTominay, whose iconic bicycle kick against Denmark was the defining goal of Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign, threatened multiple times past the 80th minute but couldn’t convert.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterize. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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