characterizing

verb

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 In both Open Throat and Etna, brevity is central to characterizing animal consciousness. — Rachel Vorona Cote, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026 The network has pushed back on that action as well, also characterizing it as a retaliatory effort to chill free speech. — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 28 July 2026 Minnesota embedded the ban in a broader public safety bill, characterizing the markets as gambling, and thus, a public health and safety issue. — Samantha Elkins, NBC news, 27 July 2026 Paul said during an appearance on his own podcast this week, characterizing his discussions with potential James suitors. — Joe Vardon, New York Times, 23 July 2026 Low testosterone is a common feature of Operator Syndrome, a medical phenomenon characterizing the unique stresses of being in the military, which doctors are now seeking to understand. — Dominique Mosbergen, Time, 17 July 2026 After characterizing the nature of the asteroid, Tianwen-2 will attempt to gather samples. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 6 July 2026 White added some thoughts about focusing in on people, characterizing what often happens in collaborations. — John Werner, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026 Supporters of the high-earner tax for public education have been quick to stress it’s been in place for more than a decade, characterizing any rollback of it as a tax cut for the wealthy. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
  1. describing
  2. distinguishing
  3. portraying
  4. defining
Verb
  • The framework's own repository is blunt about its limits, describing its controls as defense-in-depth rather than true containment.
    — Jon Markman, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Fuldauer said the insurance industry needs to become a resilience partner for society, describing public-private partnerships as key to success in this area.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of describing
Verb
  • Good decision-making under pressure is often just the discipline of distinguishing what is genuinely urgent from what merely feels urgent.
    — Alfonso Cahero, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • The company’s distinguishing advantage is a thick sauce with a right-from-the-garden taste.
    — Claire Hall, Hartford Courant, 25 July 2026
Definition of distinguishing
Verb
  • Arnault accused the newspaper—which is largely owned by the partner of Arnault’s daughter—of portraying other wealthy families in a more favorable light.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • In these quick watches, creators must provide the most entertaining segments of a debate, usually portraying clips of jarring language and rhetoric.
    — Vriti Shah, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026
Definition of portraying
Verb
  • The ultimate Cape Cod movie, Jaws was first released that year and became a defining cultural moment of summer 1975, while Violent City was a favorite of Bourdain’s, its Ennio Morricone title track in high rotation on his cooking playlists.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 29 July 2026
  • The 2026 season’s defining commercial event was the sale of two franchises.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 29 July 2026
Definition of defining

Browse Nearby Words

characterizes
characterizing
characterless
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Cite this Entry

“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of characterizing for Spanish Speakers

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