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characterized

verb

past tense of characterize
1
as in described
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 distinguished
to be an important feature of an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 characterized The Nevada Independent previously reported on Thursday that the Nevada secretary of state’s office received the seven subpoenas, which the office characterized as being from the FBI. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2026 Latvia characterized the Leipzig attack in even stronger terms. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026 The trio of hurricanes represents a level of elevated activity consistent with El Niño, a natural climate pattern characterized by warmer-than-usual sea surface temperatures in parts of the Pacific Ocean. — Denise Chow, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026 San Francisco is often characterized by its hype and unbridled enthusiasm around AI, but Frosst says there’s an openness to friendly debate in Toronto that feels unique. — Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026 Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by potentially harmful accumulations of two proteins. — Mike McRae 03, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026 Maduro has characterized his seizure as a kidnapping and called himself a prisoner of war. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 3 Sep. 2026 Sanft characterized Kading as an unethical former cop who purloined a recording of the confidential proffer for profit. — John L. Smith, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026 The result will be a continuation of the slow, attritional fighting that has characterized much of the war. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterized
  1. described
  2. distinguished
  3. portrayed
  4. marked
  5. defined
Verb
  • William Curry, a 74-year-old retiree who described himself as a libertarian-leaning independent conservative, voted for Warner's Republican challenger, Bert Mizusawa, and Wittman.
    — ALI SWENSON, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The suspect was described by Palencia as an intelligent student and active taekwondo practitioner.
    — CNN Money, CNN Money, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of described
Verb
  • That appeal distinguished Vance's speech from much of the rest GOP convention.
    — Averi Harper, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Andy Gordon, chief strategy officer and chief operating officer for Paramount Skydance, said what distinguished the summit was Macron’s insistence on what should happen next.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of distinguished
Verb
  • Attorneys for Nicholas La Strada, the former director of election integrity under Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, portrayed their client as a loyal Republican who ran afoul of the office after raising concerns about its conduct.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Much of the debate has focused on how Islam is portrayed in the new standards.
    — Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of portrayed
Verb
  • It’s marked by fear, second-guessing, and frustration, all with no guarantee that things will actually get better.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The Little Rock School District on Tuesday marked the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month with a celebration in Watson Elementary's cafetorium.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of marked
Verb
  • The tropical cyclone reached Category 5, defined by sustained winds of 157 mph or greater, overnight Friday before losing some of its steam and settling into Category 4’s limits of sustained winds of 130 to 156 mph by Saturday.
    — Dennis Romero, NBC news, 6 Sep. 2026
  • How can children manage recurring memories of planes taking down the skyscrapers that defined their childhood landscape?
    — Dr. Victor Fornari, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of defined

Browse Nearby Words

characterize
characterized
characterizes
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Cite this Entry

“Characterized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterized. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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