characterizes

present tense third-person singular of characterize
1
as in describes
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 distinguishes
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 characterizes Yet recent rhetoric from City Hall characterizes CARE as a success. — Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026 While the same anthropologists also emphasize that some hunter-gatherers are very unequal and that equality takes deliberate effort, the prevailing impression is that equality characterizes hunter-gatherers, past and present. — Christopher Von Rueden, The Conversation, 3 Oct. 2026 Fortescue characterizes Aston’s stance as a minority opinion. — Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026 In a defense memo, Pattis characterizes Diamantis as a broken and financially ruined former politician and lawyer who at 70 might not survive a long prison sentence. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026 The same patchwork that characterizes the languages and architecture of the city can also be seen in its class structure. — Benjamin Moser, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2026 Foam conjures the fragile sturdiness that characterizes both Hesse’s sculpture and Zambreno’s own vacillation between precarity and privilege. — Catherine G. Wagley, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 The research characterizes the industry as roughly two years behind travelers in adoption. — Jeff Fromm, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Many of the visions emerging out of Silicon Valley have been lifted wholesale from science fiction, but without the critical awareness that characterizes the genre — and without genuine openness to the unfamiliar. — Carline Tromp, The Dial, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizes
Verb
  • The researchers also focused on reducing the robot’s effective inertia, a property that describes how strongly an object resists changes in its motion.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Sanabria describes himself as an independent, free thinker who wants to help improve the City Beautiful and stay true to its character.
    — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The fundamental difference that distinguishes this effective use of airpower lies in the objectives that the enemy was seeking to achieve.
    — Justin Bronk, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026
  • What single factor most distinguishes you from your opponent and why?
    — Evelyn Bryant, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The column portrays Cunningham as an outspoken agitator whose growing profile has become a distraction for the Fever.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Also on hand were director Jonathan Levine and cast members Corenswet, Isabel May, who plays Tuggle’s wife, Katie; David Krumholtz, who plays Tuggle’s driver, Whitey; and Michael Shannon, who portrays legendary Giants coach Bill Parcells.
    — Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • As the footprint expands across major creative capitals, both founders remain adamantly protective of the core intimacy that defines their mission.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Public signals guide questions, internal evidence tests assumptions, and a road map defines what execution requires.
    — James Fratzke, Forbes.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Characterizes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizes. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!