characterization

noun

char·​ac·​ter·​i·​za·​tion ˌker-ik-t(ə-)rə-ˈzā-shən 

ˌka-rik-

: the act of characterizing

especially : the artistic representation (as in fiction or drama) of human character or motives

the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others

Examples of characterization in a Sentence

The reporter was criticized for his characterization of the people of the town as poor and uneducated.

News reporting requires accurate characterization.

The class discussed the author's characterization of the boy as someone who wanted to be accepted by others.

The story has good characterization.

Recent Examples on the Web

Mary Livanos was instrumental in the characterization of Rio. —Katie Campione, Deadline, 1 Nov. 2024

Popular on Variety But the latter characterization changed this year. —Louis Staples, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024

Keough gives one of the strongest performances at the center of any genre film; her characterization keeps the second half of the movie a guessing game, where a lesser actor would have shown their hand by that stage. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2024

This characterization then allows Barthelemy to bring to bear on chess all the mathematical tools of network science. —The Physics Arxiv Blog, Discover Magazine, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

see character entry 1

First Known Use

1841, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing characterization

• self-characterization

Kids Definition

characterization

noun

char·​ac·​ter·​i·​za·​tion ˌkar-ik-tə-rə-ˈzā-shən 

1

: the act of characterizing

2

: the creation of characters (as in a book or play)