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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in eccentrics
a person of odd or whimsical habits
the junk dealer is certainly a character, but he's as honest as they come
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in reputations
overall quality as seen or judged by people in general
the general character of the business appears to be good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in characteristics
something that sets apart an individual from others of the same kind
one of the distinguishing characters of mammals
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
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
6
as in personalities
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others
the basic character of the work requires that an employee be able to work quietly and independently
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in people
a member of the human race
you wouldn't believe what kind of characters hang around the bus station
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 characters
Lizzie Hyman, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Despite the 2025 report (read it here) showing a slight uptick from last year’s 468 to 489 LGBTQ characters across all platforms, that number takes a major blow as more than 200 (41%) of those characters will not return, due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Most of your favorite characters, including Will, are returning, too — just not the same actors.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
Maybe a bit like the characters in our parable.
—Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
There’s a lot more that goes in than most people think in terms of hand-drawing characters and animating them and all the details that go into a production.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Elliott and Ellis’ characters are their addictions.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
See the trailer for 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' Who are the Peanuts characters?
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
The characters are all different, but the contrast in personalities was similar.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
On the hit show, their characters were often at odds, but offscreen, it's always been nothing but love between the two actors.
—Lizzie Hyman, PEOPLE, 6 Nov. 2025
Despite the 2025 report (read it here) showing a slight uptick from last year’s 468 to 489 LGBTQ characters across all platforms, that number takes a major blow as more than 200 (41%) of those characters will not return, due to series cancellations, endings or limited series format.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025
Most of your favorite characters, including Will, are returning, too — just not the same actors.
—Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
Maybe a bit like the characters in our parable.
—Big Think, 6 Nov. 2025
There’s a lot more that goes in than most people think in terms of hand-drawing characters and animating them and all the details that go into a production.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
Elliott and Ellis’ characters are their addictions.
—Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2025
See the trailer for 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' Who are the Peanuts characters?
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 6 Nov. 2025
The characters are all different, but the contrast in personalities was similar.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for characters
Noun
-
The Logic Theorist was, however, the first AI program designed to prove mathematical theorems and to demonstrate the power of reasoning with symbols.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The food allergy community and parents of children with autism have adopted the teal and blue, respectively, as symbols to promote awareness and inclusivity while trick-or-treating.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Appealing to consumers searching for a piece of history, the store has gained a following of visitors hunting for unique souvenirs, designers on inspiration trips and local eccentrics.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
24 Oct. 2025
-
For Mimi Pond, the desire to do a book about the Mitford sisters – six larger-than-life British eccentrics (and one brother) who created a stir in both British and American culture – was obvious.—
Erik Pedersen,
Oc Register,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Both have longstanding reputations as excellent investors, proven over time in a business that even at its very best can be fickle.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The rich and powerful, at least, might have the means to protect their reputations from an onslaught of deepfakes.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Published in Aerospace Science and Technology, the study describes that the Accurate prediction of aerodynamic drag characteristics across a wide range of wing-body configurations is crucial in the early design stages of transonic commercial transport aircraft.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In fact, failure is one of the key characteristics of Silicon Valley.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The coroner is at the scene trying to confirm the identities of the victims, Greenberg said on Wednesday.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The identities of the victims will be provided by the coroner's office when available, Greenberg said.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In 2020, Lawrence celebrated her 30th birthday and received a sweet message from Kris Jenner, the matriarch of the media personalities.—
Christina Dugan Ramirez,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Back when Lyft announced Women Connect, other alt-right personalities, including influencer Tomi Lahren, blasted the program.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The next step was to search for the higher-energy release of energy that stellar physicists believe characterizes the frequent CMEs from young stars.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
30 Oct. 2025
-
Protest organizers have trained thousands in de-escalation techniques and have promised the day will be safe, even as political rhetoric characterizes demonstrators as being aligned with terrorist forces.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The hub has brought with it big-ticket originals like High Water, 1983, three Harlan Coben adaptations and an upcoming local verison of Love is Blind.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The deal positions Disney+ as a key SVOD partner for Tving in the critical Japanese market, with up to 60 of the Korean streamer’s top-performing originals and CJ ENM drama series set to launch on the platform.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Characters.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/characters. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share