characters 1 of 2

Definition of charactersnext
plural of character
1
as in symbols
a written or printed mark that is meant to convey information to the reader the pictorial characters of the ancient Egyptians had long been a mystery

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as in identities
the set of qualities that make a person different from other people she regards each of her children as having a distinctive character that should be valued for what it is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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characters

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of character
as in characterizes
to point out the chief quality or qualities of an individual or group formerly charactered as "the dark ages," that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought

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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 characters
Noun
Oh adds the notion of subsuming Asian-American characters into mainstream white storytelling, or leaving them out as too risky, is hopefully over. Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 8 May 2026 Three amazing movie stars firing on all cylinders with great material and huge stakes for their characters in a beautiful setting. Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 May 2026 He was stripped of all his honors and titles and banished from public view by the royal family after years of scandal over his money woes and links to questionable characters, including Epstein. Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026 How Nora’s painted these characters. Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 8 May 2026 George has a bottle of whiskey in his trailer home, and some characters are shown drinking wine. Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 8 May 2026 The result is an epic rock opera complete with a suite of characters and an epic story that has also been turned into an album-accompanying comic created by Rich Ragsdale. Steve Spaleta, Space.com, 1 May 2026 Speaking of other characters, the flowers are so stunning. Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026 Other specialty plates also only permit six characters, including the California Museums format with a smiling Snoopy. Jim Radcliffe, Oc Register, 1 May 2026
Verb
What would Six Flags look like without its most valuable properties like Looney Tunes and, especially, its DC Comics characters Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman? Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 5 Dec. 2025 KPop Demon Hunters characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie were also featured. Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 28 Nov. 2025 Netflix characters Derpy Tiger and Sussie from KPop Demon Hunters will also join the lineup. Daniel Orton, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characters
Noun
  • Yet, once the pilgrimage concludes, these symbols often face a linear end, contributing to a mounting global crisis of textile waste.
    FMG Studios, Footwear News, 1 May 2026
  • Another way to assess age and origin is through maker’s marks—symbols, numbers, or letters stamped on an item to identify its manufacturer.
    Nicole Anderson, Architectural Digest, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • The town’s overflowing with charming Midwest eccentrics, including a cocky mayor (Henry Winkler) and a welcoming barkeep (Lena Headey).
    Randy Myers, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Those crazy, diverse individuals, that tribe of oddballs and eccentrics, dreamers, and gamblers who make up this business.
    Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 14 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The biggest takeaway from these results is that tanking can have a negative downstream effect on the reputations of those teams’ coaches.
    Josh Robbins, New York Times, 6 May 2026
  • The show’s first-time writers are pinning their theater reputations on its fate.
    Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 6 May 2026
Noun
  • Different microclimates from mountain pastures to valley farms influence the milk’s characteristics.
    Antonia Mortensen, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
  • Analyze the traits shared by successful long shots in past Derbies, and identify horses carrying those characteristics in 2026.
    Peter Keating, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
  • In each case, Crenshaw argued, a Black woman was facing additional discrimination because of her particular bundle of identities.
    Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • The work for Documenta was very much about the ambiguity of identities.
    Emmanuel Iduma, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
Noun
  • Growing up in Southern California meant marinating in a beautifully chaotic media stew where local sports writers and radio personalities were some of our defining cultural commentators.
    Erik Pedersen, Oc Register, 8 May 2026
  • It’s caused quite the stir on social media, with personalities like Clay Travis weighing in, saying First Take should have Bayless on during the NFL season.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • But no such device exists for the way Trump characterizes it — at least not when math is done correctly.
    ABC News, ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The author characterizes Huntington Beach itself as an inherently self-aggrandizing, wealthy coastal enclave unrepresentative of broader California concerns, dismissing the notion that this affluent beach town should serve as a model for statewide governance or the state’s future direction.
    Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Until now, this left historians to rely on inscriptions from 18th-century copies of Holbein originals to identify the drawings’ sitters.
    Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 4 May 2026
  • At this time, the State Bar ordered a digital filing system and to destroy all originals.
    Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Characters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characters. Accessed 9 May. 2026.

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