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 That deal, which attorneys characterized as verbal in nature, fell apart on the last day of trial and ended with a shouting match in the judge’s chambers, defense attorneys for Anthony testified. — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Aug. 2026 Mark Ruffalo is pushing back against Paramount Skydance after the media giant characterized his anti-merger comments as antisemitic. — Angela Yang, NBC news, 23 Aug. 2026 Her looks are characterized by a natural, relaxed elegance, featuring flowing dresses, lightweight fabrics, and details reminiscent of 1970s fashion. — Laura Tortora, Glamour, 22 Aug. 2026 Yields initially fell and stocks rallied on the disclosure, which Jim characterized as an effort to preserve the stock market rally . — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2026 Remove highly flammable plants characterized by resinous sap and waxy leaves. — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026 El Niño is characterized by warmer-than-usual water surface temperatures in the eastern and central tropical Pacific Ocean, with those conditions leading to a months-long drought throughout 2023 and early 2024. — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026 The administration has almost always characterized Iran never getting a nuclear weapon as the overriding concern. — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 In ordinary tax terminology, income, property, and estate taxes are often described as direct taxes, while sales, excise, and customs duties are generally characterized as indirect taxes. — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterized
  1. described
  2. distinguished
  3. portrayed
  4. marked
  5. defined
Verb
  • Anton, whose gaze at the couple can only be described as wistful.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Samba was born at the sanctuary Samba was born at Project Survival Cat Haven and lived there with her sister, Rose, according to Anderson, who described her as an unusually sweet animal with an exceptionally friendly personality.
    — Anthony Thompson, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of described
Verb
  • It's had a number of redesigns, but what distinguished it then, and still does now, is its cliff-perch above the Adriatic, its classic Mediterranean gardens, and its views of Old Town Dubrovnik and Lokrum Island.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The dining room, meanwhile, is distinguished by an ornate coffered ceiling.
    — Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of distinguished
Verb
  • The two teenagers spend a summer at an alpine dairy farm in Austria, helping Tomy’s uncle, portrayed by Hannes Perkmann, with the milking and exploring the outdoors.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Love portrayed himself on Instagram as a 49ers wide receiver who went undrafted but worked his way onto the roster.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of portrayed
Verb
  • The Gem State has long been marked by the tradition of Californians making the move to the state.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Sunset Lakes Elementary would be reconfigured as a K-8 school, but is not currently marked for closure.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of marked
Verb
  • And increasingly, the biggest EV factory may no longer be defined simply by the number of cars rolling off a single assembly line, but by the size of the entire industrial ecosystem built around them.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 23 Aug. 2026
  • After all those years, the curse had finally been broken, and a franchise once defined by failure suddenly became one of baseball’s great modern success stories.
    — Emile Nuh, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 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 29 Aug. 2026.

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