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
Relevance
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
Flash floods are usually characterized by raging torrents after heavy rains.
—
AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Freed him from ego, from fear, from the inability or unwillingness to act that characterized the early Union generals.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
It’s characterized by patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Some senators characterized Miran’s nomination as ironic.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
AZCentral.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Freed him from ego, from fear, from the inability or unwillingness to act that characterized the early Union generals.
—Jack Sheehan
september 4, Literary Hub, 4 Sep. 2025
It’s characterized by patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
—Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Some senators characterized Miran’s nomination as ironic.
—Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterize
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterize
Verb
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But the shift may be broader, as newsrooms both describe a cultural shift and, at least in some cases, embody it.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The panel studying those cases released a report last year describing how the state child welfare agency missed warning signs and failed to protect dozens of children from dying of the illicit drug.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Code does not distinguish between voluntary and involuntary expatriation.—
Virginia La Torre Jeker,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Its data did not distinguish between civilians and combatants.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Folklore portrays them as menacing figures lurking in the darkness who can possess those who wander too far from home.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
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Chastain portrayed Celia Foote in the drama based on Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name about a white journalist chronicling the lives of Black maids working for white households in 1960s Mississippi.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Mercenaries are defined as soldiers who are contracted by third parties unaffiliated with a nation’s armed forces and motivated primarily by private gain.—
Rebecca Johns,
Miami Herald,
6 Sep. 2025
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Rivalries that are long in tenure and thick with hatred define college sports in the Deep South, where football is second only to faith in some places.—
Quentin Corpuel,
Kansas City Star,
6 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Characterize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterize. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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