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
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Recent Examples of characterizing
So much of The Last Supper involved characterizing songs, movies, music videos, paintings, and so on.
—
Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
Many in the scientific research community disagree, characterizing the changes as the White House attempting to usurp autonomy from scientists and career civil servants.
—Allison Deangelis, STAT, 1 June 2026
The United States has struck a hard line, characterizing the unrest as a coup attempt.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
The company temporarily halted the work and offered to repair the road at no cost to the county, characterizing the work as a gift.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Fresh, seasonal produce plays a large part in characterizing the taste of a place, and in Florida’s mild climate much of that flavor can be locally grown.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
The pick-up in optimism matches other data characterizing speculative appetite amid this year's extraordinary surge in tech stocks.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 May 2026
This is among the first steps in characterizing the quality of a particular cacao.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 May 2026
Democrats vow to fight on Suzan DelBene, the top fundraiser for House Democrats, denounced the Virginia Supreme Court decision, characterizing it as four unelected judges casting aside the will of voters.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Literary Hub, 1 June 2026
Many in the scientific research community disagree, characterizing the changes as the White House attempting to usurp autonomy from scientists and career civil servants.
—Allison Deangelis, STAT, 1 June 2026
The United States has struck a hard line, characterizing the unrest as a coup attempt.
—ABC News, 27 May 2026
The company temporarily halted the work and offered to repair the road at no cost to the county, characterizing the work as a gift.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 14 May 2026
Fresh, seasonal produce plays a large part in characterizing the taste of a place, and in Florida’s mild climate much of that flavor can be locally grown.
—Kelsey Glennon, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
The pick-up in optimism matches other data characterizing speculative appetite amid this year's extraordinary surge in tech stocks.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 May 2026
This is among the first steps in characterizing the quality of a particular cacao.
—Ari Daniel, NPR, 10 May 2026
Democrats vow to fight on Suzan DelBene, the top fundraiser for House Democrats, denounced the Virginia Supreme Court decision, characterizing it as four unelected judges casting aside the will of voters.
—Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 8 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airforwarders Association (AfA) both sent letters to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin describing the far-reaching consequences of such a cutback, including supply chain snafus, diminished cargo capacity and lost revenues.—
Glenn Taylor,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
-
Crew members believe that blame should be shared equally between producers and financiers, with some describing it as a cautionary tale.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
3 June 2026
Verb
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This isn’t to say any of these teams would have challenged eventual champion LSU; the point is that distinguishing between teams 10 and 20 for inclusion in a 16-team CFP is virtually impossible.—
Scott Dochterman,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
The first distinguishing feature is the nature of the problem being attacked.—
Ethan Stone,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Pratt has been portraying the city as a lethal hellscape.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Both of Cook’s pregnancies were written into Criminal Minds, with her sons portraying her children on the series.—
Jacqueline Weiss,
PEOPLE,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
According to Mike, that freedom became one of the collection’s defining characteristics.—
Laura Jackson,
Vogue,
3 June 2026
-
An iconic style from the brand hailing from the fall 2016 runway, the Kiki has amassed a legion of celebrity fans who have embraced the silhouette’s defining platform, towering block heel and unique buckle design leaving oval cut outs.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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