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
Relevance
2
as in distinguishing
to be an important feature of
an unsightly rash characterizes chicken pox
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
-
While that excitement still defines the event, the phrase may work better today describing the frenzy of fans trying to get to the actual games.—
DeMarco Williams,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025 -
But that’s too pat a way of describing something so slippery and alive.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
The military men are more distinct, largely because they’re either played by somewhat familiar faces — including Will Poulter, as Captain Erik, the head of the initial operation — or have distinguishing features, like the mustache on Elliott (Cosmo Jarvis), the head sniper.—
Manohla Dargis,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
-
With that in mind, Singleton emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between privacy and anonymity.—
Gene Marks,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Grande has been open about the emotional journey of portraying Glinda, which had been her dream role throughout her career.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Farrar, portraying the observant and multilingual Demetrius, spoke about the invaluable experience of watching Davis and Anderson work.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
In its latest action addressing broader issues, the El Cajon City Council on Tuesday voted against the state bill that would change rules about justifiable homicide and unanimously adopted a resolution defining antisemitism and promoting nondiscrimination of all residents.—
Gary Warth,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Life has a way of defining our purpose through the moments that challenge us most.—
Cristian LaCapra,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share