char·ac·ter
ˈker-ik-tər 
ˈka-rik-
plural characters
1
a
: one of the attributes (see attribute entry 1 sense 1) or features that make up and distinguish an individual
This is a side of her character that few people have seen.
b(1)
: a feature used to separate distinguishable things into categories
also
: a group or kind so separated
advertising of a very primitive character
(2)
: the aggregate of distinctive qualities characteristic of a breed, strain, or type
a wine of great character
(3)
: the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes
c
: the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation
the character of the American people
d
: main or essential nature especially as strongly marked and serving to distinguish
Excess sewage gradually changed the character of the lake.
2
a
: someone who appears in a book, movie, etc. : a representation of an individual personality in a fictional or dramatic work
a character in a play
the novel's main/lead/central character
a minor/supporting character
fictional characters
a cartoon character
… spends her days scripting stories for an entertainment company about background characters in video games.—
Lauren Sarner
see also non-player character
Lauren Sarner
b
: the personality or part which an actor recreates
an actress who can create a character convincingly
c
: an avatar in a video game
There will be a bevy of cosmetic items to purchase …, allowing players to totally customize their characters …—Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly
d
: characterization especially in drama or fiction
a novelist good in both character and setting
e
: person, individual
a suspicious character
f
: a person marked by notable or conspicuous traits
quite a character
3
: moral excellence and firmness
a man of sound character
4
a
: a graphic symbol (such as a hieroglyph or alphabet letter) used in writing or printing
b
: a symbol (such as a letter or number) that represents information
mathematical characters
also
: a representation of such a symbol that may be accepted by a computer
c
: a magical or astrological emblem
d
: alphabet
f
: a conventionalized graphic device placed on an object as an indication of ownership, origin, or relationship
5
: reputation
The scandal has damaged his character and image.
8
: a short literary sketch of the qualities of a social type
1
: capable of portraying an unusual or eccentric personality often markedly different from the player
a character actor
2
: requiring or involving the portrayal of an unusual or eccentric personality
a character role
charactered; charactering; characters
Did you know?
Traits of Character
Character demonstrates that a word may have many and varied meanings and yet still be easily understood by most listeners when used in disparate settings. We have little trouble distinguishing the meanings of the noun in “she had a fine and noble character,” “Bill is always joking; he’s such a character,” and “He was the last character to appear in the play,” not to mention its many other applications. Character comes ultimately from the Greek charaktēr (“mark, distinctive quality”), which passed through Latin and French before landing in English. The Greek noun itself is derived from the verb charassein, meaning “to sharpen, cut in furrows, or engrave.” The literal sense of the noun (“an engraved or imprinted mark”) existed in Greek, Latin, and French side by side with the figurative one (“a distinctive quality”), and both senses were borrowed into English early on, with a variant of the figurative sense appearing first.
Synonyms
Examples of character in a Sentence
Noun
… this makes everyone believe not only that anyone can be a parent, but also that everyone ought to do it, even those who seem by character or inclination to be ill equipped.
—Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2009
Someone with Alzheimer's may undergo a regression to a "second childhood," but aspects of one's essential character, of personality and personhood, of self, survive …
—Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia, (2007) 2008
"Beat" is old carny slang. According to Beat Movement legend (and it is a movement with a deep inventory of legend), Ginsberg and Kerouac picked it up from a character named Herbert Huncke, a gay street hustler and drug addict from Chicago who began hanging around Times Square in 1939 …
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2007
Slowly, steadily, Och and Chris passed along their knowledge of the character of various courses, and the way a race evolves tactically.
—Lance Armstrong, It's Not About the Bike, (2000) 2001
Her character struck the Swede back then as a compound in which you'd find just about everything toxic to desperation and dread. At the core of her he could imagine a nucleus of confidence plaited just as neatly and tightly as her braided hair.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
the unique character of the town
The building is very simple in character.
Their house has a lot of character.
Verb
formerly charactered as “the dark ages,” that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought
Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 27 Apr. 2009
Someone with Alzheimer's may undergo a regression to a "second childhood," but aspects of one's essential character, of personality and personhood, of self, survive …
—Oliver Sacks, Musicophilia, (2007) 2008
"Beat" is old carny slang. According to Beat Movement legend (and it is a movement with a deep inventory of legend), Ginsberg and Kerouac picked it up from a character named Herbert Huncke, a gay street hustler and drug addict from Chicago who began hanging around Times Square in 1939 …
—Louis Menand, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2007
Slowly, steadily, Och and Chris passed along their knowledge of the character of various courses, and the way a race evolves tactically.
—Lance Armstrong, It's Not About the Bike, (2000) 2001
Her character struck the Swede back then as a compound in which you'd find just about everything toxic to desperation and dread. At the core of her he could imagine a nucleus of confidence plaited just as neatly and tightly as her braided hair.
—Philip Roth, American Pastoral, 1997
the unique character of the town
The building is very simple in character.
Their house has a lot of character.
Verb
formerly charactered as “the dark ages,” that period of history may not have been quite so benighted as once thought
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeff Conway, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
These signs recur throughout the annals of early Chinese history: unicorns; phoenixes; albino fish with red characters inscribed on their faces; dragons and turtles with mysterious inscriptions on their backs; iridescent earthworms; and more.
—Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 2 Dec. 2024
Alissa Simon, Variety, 3 Sep. 2021
The best shows and movies are often character dramas at heart; even Westworld was in its first season.
—Wired, 9 July 2022
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
In a series of interwoven vignettes that roam from character to character, the fearless Nobel Prize–winning novelist Tokarczuk explores how folklore, ritual, and strife shape the minds of the inhabitants of a village appropriately called Primeval, over a long period starting in 1914.
—Jeff Vandermeer, The Atlantic, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for character 
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Even as his acting career now spans three decades, Jude Law continues to be a Hollywood leading man, with his impressive versatility to play characters from many walks of life, in a wide range of film & television projects.
—Jeff Conway, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024
These signs recur throughout the annals of early Chinese history: unicorns; phoenixes; albino fish with red characters inscribed on their faces; dragons and turtles with mysterious inscriptions on their backs; iridescent earthworms; and more.
—Amelia Soth, JSTOR Daily, 2 Dec. 2024
Adjective
For over 25 years, Emmy-award winning directors/producers Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine have jointly created multi-character documentary narratives that use the personal stories of their protagonists to paint a larger portrait of the human experience.
—Alissa Simon, Variety, 3 Sep. 2021
The best shows and movies are often character dramas at heart; even Westworld was in its first season.
—Wired, 9 July 2022
Verb
Even the red herrings wound up important to character development and/or plot points.
—Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024
In a series of interwoven vignettes that roam from character to character, the fearless Nobel Prize–winning novelist Tokarczuk explores how folklore, ritual, and strife shape the minds of the inhabitants of a village appropriately called Primeval, over a long period starting in 1914.
—Jeff Vandermeer, The Atlantic, 27 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for character
Articles Related to character
Dictionary Entries Near character
Cite this Entry
“Character.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/character. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
character
noun
char·ac·ter
ˈkar-ik-tər
1
: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish the individual
2
: the detectable expression of the action of a gene or group of genes
3
: the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation
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