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

Interestingly, the rates seem to be steepest and highest among higher socioeconomic status countries and those who may be characterized as having more of a westernized lifestyle. —Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024

Peters characterized today’s government and court attitudes toward endangered species as unserious about protecting local homes for wildlife that live in bigger numbers south of the border. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 20 May 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