characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈker-ik-tə-ˌrīz 

ˈka-rik-

characterized; characterizing

transitive verb

1

: to describe the character (see character entry 1 sense 1a) or quality of

characterizes him as ambitious

2

: to be a characteristic of : distinguish

an era characterized by greed

Synonyms

• character
• define
• depict
• describe
• portray
• represent

Examples of characterize in a Sentence

How would you characterize the situation?

I would characterize this as a positive change for our company.

She had difficulty characterizing their relationship.

His personality is hard to characterize.

Farms and large flat fields characterize most of the area.

the beliefs that characterized Europe in the 15th century

Recent Examples on the Web

The menopause transition is characterized by a significant decline in estrogen and progesterone levels, leading to various physiological changes. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 25 June 2024

Thinking 6 books that shaped Japanese philosophy Japanese thought can’t be easily characterized by just a few books — but this essential guide is a great place to start. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Fire signs, which are typically characterized as being passionate, impulsive and action-oriented, can feel aggressive to the more sensitive Cancer. —Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 22 June 2024

Migraines are characterized by severe throbbing pain caused by the activation of nerve fibers within the wall of brain blood vessels. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 20 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

see character entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1602, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

characterize

verb

char·​ac·​ter·​ize ˈkar-ik-tə-ˌrīz 

characterized; characterizing

1

: to point out the character of an individual or group : describe

characterize him as ambitious

2

: to be characteristic of

tragic endings characterized her stories