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
Tournament director Stacey Allaster objects to that sort of characterization.
—
Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
After being expelled from the Writers Guild of America Friday for allegedly violating strike rules, Park Chan-wook and his writing partner Don McKellar have pushed back on the union’s characterization of their actions on The Sympathizer in 2023.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Strategic infrastructure connects instruments, lab information management systems (LIMS), synthesis and characterization equipment, and modeling platforms to create a unified data backbone.
—Akshay Talekar, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
But such characterizations, drenched in presentist moral narcissism, do a grave disservice to the reality on the ground and the countless lives Truman undoubtedly saved.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterization
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.
Howard Fendrich, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2025
After being expelled from the Writers Guild of America Friday for allegedly violating strike rules, Park Chan-wook and his writing partner Don McKellar have pushed back on the union’s characterization of their actions on The Sympathizer in 2023.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 Aug. 2025
Strategic infrastructure connects instruments, lab information management systems (LIMS), synthesis and characterization equipment, and modeling platforms to create a unified data backbone.
—Akshay Talekar, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025
But such characterizations, drenched in presentist moral narcissism, do a grave disservice to the reality on the ground and the countless lives Truman undoubtedly saved.
—Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for characterization
Cite this Entry
“Characterization.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/characterization. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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)
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share