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
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Recent Examples of characterized
Rather than a slight to Lane, Lithgow’s win is a sign of the dramatic depth that characterized this otherwise squirrely season.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
It is characterized by high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and rashes or bumps that appear seven to 14 days after exposure.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Such variety seemed impossible as recently as 2018, when the Golden State Warriors were at the height of their reign and decades of history suggested the NBA would always be the American sports league most characterized by dynasties.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Crepey skin is an inevitable part of aging, and it’s characterized by loose, thin, and wrinkled skin on the neck, hands, jawline, and around the mouth.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 7 June 2026
Before that, the hominin diet was characterized by breadth — tubers, seeds, fruits, insects, meat, marrow — shifting with seasons, geography and opportunity.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Rush was arrested by the FBI on May 19 after an internal CIA investigation uncovered what officials characterized as potential criminal misconduct.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2026
The legendary musician opened up about living with inclusion body myositis (IBM), which, according to Johns Hopkins, is an inflammatory muscle-wasting disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Airflow streams become violent, compressible flows characterized by complex, interacting shock waves.
—David Szondy
june 04, New Atlas, 4 June 2026
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
It is characterized by high fever, cough, runny nose, watery eyes and rashes or bumps that appear seven to 14 days after exposure.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 8 June 2026
Such variety seemed impossible as recently as 2018, when the Golden State Warriors were at the height of their reign and decades of history suggested the NBA would always be the American sports league most characterized by dynasties.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 7 June 2026
Crepey skin is an inevitable part of aging, and it’s characterized by loose, thin, and wrinkled skin on the neck, hands, jawline, and around the mouth.
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 7 June 2026
Before that, the hominin diet was characterized by breadth — tubers, seeds, fruits, insects, meat, marrow — shifting with seasons, geography and opportunity.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2026
Rush was arrested by the FBI on May 19 after an internal CIA investigation uncovered what officials characterized as potential criminal misconduct.
—Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 6 June 2026
The legendary musician opened up about living with inclusion body myositis (IBM), which, according to Johns Hopkins, is an inflammatory muscle-wasting disease characterized by progressive muscle weakness.
—Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Airflow streams become violent, compressible flows characterized by complex, interacting shock waves.
—David Szondy
june 04, New Atlas, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterized
Verb
-
Nemecek described Rogers as one of the most influential communicators of the 20th century, whose reach extended across journalism, radio, film and public commentary.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
9 June 2026
-
Court records and prior reporting have described allegations involving other women, though not all allegations resulted in guilty pleas.—
Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Sometimes distinguished by their spots, male channel cats can be mostly black or dark blue on their upper body during spawning season.—
Ken Perrotte,
Outdoor Life,
4 June 2026
-
Implicit in Schulze’s remark is what distinguished the Hairy Who from their Pop counterparts on the East Coast.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
Dozens of people submitted letters on Roberts’ behalf to dispute how he has been portrayed and provide details of his positive impact.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
-
Andrew Scott famously played him in Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss’ hit BBC drama Sherlock and he has also been portrayed by the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Jared Harris, Dougray Scott, Eric Porter and Dónal Finn down the years.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Jacob Coleman, the conservative advocacy group’s Minnesota director, said the convention marked the display’s debut.—
Jay Gabler,
Twin Cities,
30 May 2026
-
The spectral figures, marked by their sarong colors, imagined Zodiacs, doshas and more, operate haunto-structurally.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
These artists defined their own style in Detroit—raw, soulful, and forward-looking—and eventually captured a global audience.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
It’s also revealed that the Mach 4 (about 3,100 mph) is more than four times the speed of sound, while hypersonic flight is generally defined as Mach 5 and above.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterized.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterized. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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