characterizing

present participle of characterize
1
as in describing
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 distinguishing
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 characterizing Blumenkranz rebuffed those claims, characterizing the current depth of collectors being a mix of longtime collectors who have supported FOG for years alongside a newer generation of collectors, some of whom have made their wealth in tech. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Wilkinson countered that what was at issue was that the network has to go through the early renewal process at all, characterizing it as an act of retaliation that is ripe for district court review. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026 From media, to the players, and the league's dedicated fan base full of left-wing political activists, far too many people have been unfairly characterizing Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark fans. — Jon Root Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026 Financial analysts characterizing it as a meme stock, meaning its price can be influenced by investor enthusiasm and sentiment as well as the company’s financial performance. — Bydebbie Carlson, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026 Scientists try to compute these wave functions before synthesizing and characterizing the molecules directly in the lab, so the labs can focus their resources on the most promising reactions. — Sophya Garashchuk, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 Neither song has stopped naysayers from characterizing Anthrax as left-wing. — Jon Wiederhorn, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026 However, Bartiromo's attorney, Bryan Freedman, has challenged reports characterizing her departure as a firing. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 That meant probing the components and characterizing their functions. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
  • Paxton has contrasted himself and Talarico from the campaign trail — describing the Democrat as radical — and touts his work as attorney general, including battling big government and big corporations.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Trump opened his remarks there by describing how the new jet parked behind him was a gift from the Qatari royal family.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For Jekyll-Hyde, the costumes are crucial and add to the characterization, distinguishing the two men inhabiting the same body.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
  • For voters scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms, distinguishing between independent commentary and paid political advertising is becoming increasingly difficult.
    — Abby Dodge, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • The younger Bolsonaro has denied climate change while portraying himself as an environmental defender, without detailing plans to protect the Amazon or support forest financing.
    — Gabriela Sá Pessoa, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, there are AI safety researchers who fear that portraying such incidents as easily remedied security failures gives political cover to those who want AI development to proceed unchecked.
    — Harry Booth, Time, 20 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yet as black became a defining color of modern fashion, most famously through Gabrielle Chanel’s little black dress of 1926, its association with mourning gradually loosened.
    — Livia Caligor, Vogue, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In From Day One As countries build generation-defining infrastructure—road and rail tunnels, smart stadiums and hospital precincts—connectivity is too often bolted on late in construction.
    — Stephen Farrugia, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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