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
By contrast, Ka’iana and his family’s landing spot with Kamehameha’s base of power in Hawaii, as well as their foes, needed to be grounded in the land, while still doing the work of characterizing the different factions.
—
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
Perplexity, however, pushed back, denying the accusations and characterizing the incident as a misunderstanding of its technology.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 Aug. 2025
Perplexity, however, pushed back, denying the accusations and characterizing the incident as a misunderstanding of its technology.
—Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
Verb
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The Operational Command of the Armed Forces released a statement on Wednesday morning, describing the deployment as preventive and focused on protecting Polish airspace and citizens.—
Daniel Orton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
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Though the terms may often be used in similar contexts and share some overlap — Hispanic and Latino possess distinct meanings and represent different ways of describing people.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Kraft Heinz also had trouble distinguishing its products from cheaper store brands.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
2 Sep. 2025
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Hope to see more distinguishing benefits down the road.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In the film — her first since portraying opera diva Maria Callas in last year’s Maria — the Oscar winner, 50, stars as Maxine, an American film director hired to make a video for a Paris fashion event amid being diagnosed with breast cancer and navigating a divorce.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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The museum's mission is to tell America's story by portraying people who shaped its history and culture.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Impact of 'Bluey' There's no doubt that Bluey is one of those shows that's defining our current era.—
De Elizabeth,
Parents,
3 Sep. 2025
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The company has positioned itself to revive theatrical Hindi-language cinema through genre-defining storytelling.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Characterizing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characterizing. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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