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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characterizing
  1. describing
  2. distinguishing
  3. portraying
  4. defining
Verb
  • Nights in a restaurant are often spent describing flavors, in sensory attention—at least when they aren’t filled with flirting with your coworkers or complaining about guests.
    — Kyle Lucia Wu, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 2026
  • DeVriese-Sebilla said those attitudes had lasting consequences for Argentine, describing housing segregation as one of the community’s greatest historical challenges.
    — Michelle Oliva-Espinosa, Kansas City Star, 18 July 2026
Definition of describing
Verb
  • Key topics include creating effective budgets by distinguishing needs from wants, building emergency funds of 3-6 months' expenses, and choosing debt repayment strategies like snowball or avalanche.
    — AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Senior administration officials pushed back on the idea the new levies were crafted explicitly to replace earlier tariffs, distinguishing them from a universal, global rate.
    — Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of distinguishing
Verb
  • Original Elle Woods, Reese Witherspoon, has been incredibly supportive, praising Minetree's performance and highlighting the responsibility of portraying such a beloved character.
    — Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • The actor wore contact lenses while portraying Eumaeus, which impaired his eyesight.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 22 July 2026
Definition of portraying
Verb
  • Having convinced the wide player that coming under his tutelage is the right next step, following talks with Chelsea post-Rogers’ sale, Garnacho is set for a critical, arguably career-defining, 12 months.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Infleqtion's system, designed for hybrid AI integration, aims for 50 logical qubits, scaling to over 1,000, positioning neutral-atom technology potentially defining quantum's first practical applications.
    — Karl Freund, Forbes.com, 22 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 25 Jul. 2026.

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