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
  • The modern American Dream is best described as a private bunker where the outside world arrives entirely in a cardboard box or a fiber-optic cable.
    — John Mac Ghlionn, Washington Post, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Strahan described the chaos in New York City amid the rescue efforts and the accompanying bomb threats and noted that the Giants could still see smoke from the twin towers from the team’s practice fields.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of described
Verb
  • Esteban Ibarra, the president of the MCI, said in a statement that antisemitism should be distinguished from debates about Israel.
    — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Juveniles can be distinguished by their dark facial bands and gray or tan body patterned with black or brown blotches.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of distinguished
Verb
  • That was portrayed in some quarters as a mass exodus, one that would inevitably lead to the remainder of Newcastle’s best players departing as well — if not during the window just gone, then next summer.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Beatty portrayed River—the kindhearted fiancée of one of the siblings—until the play closed in June 2024.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of portrayed
Verb
  • The record may come as no surprise after a summer marked by extreme weather, from wildfires to floods, and on the cusp of what scientists believe will be a historic El Niño.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The company marked the start of construction at Brainport Industries Campus North, or BIC North, in Eindhoven on September 8.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 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 12 Sep. 2026.

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